In 2010 I wrote the following blog about what was
happening in the United States because or in the name of 9/11. We are deep into
a political debate about who will be our next president. E-mails arrive continuously
about “Voting Christian” – I feel it is time that we start acting like
Christians instead of just giving it lip service. So, I repost this previous
blog, with some minor editorial changes, and call upon us to really begin to do
something in the name of Christ … for the sake of the whole world.
In the great city of New York there once stood the
Twin Towers ... a nation watched in disbelieve and horror as they fell to the
ground. Thousands died. Hatred brought them down and hatred has gripped the
nation ever since. Hatred cannot win … we cannot allow it to win … we will be
destroyed if hatred wins the day and God is pushed to the sidelines of life.
Holy Scripture speaks of … forgiving our enemies …
turning the other cheek … of going the second mile … not repaying evil with
evil … loving those who hate us and say all sorts of evil against us. Holy
Scripture asks the penetrating question: How can we love God whom we have not
seen if we don’t love our neighbor who we have seen? Holy scripture asks the
follow up question: Who is my neighbor? … And we know, in our hearts, who our
neighbors are ... they speak a different language, worship a god by a different
name, they wear different cloths and live a different lifestyle … but they are
still God’s children and they are our neighbors.
There continues to be fringe elements within the
make-up of our country that see an enemy at every turn. They stir the pot of
fear. These individuals are so blinded by their philosophy of “me first”
thinking that they are willing to go to great lengths to destroy the very
framework which undergirds the greatness of our country. Sides have been taken,
angry words are being exchanged, urban legends continue to be spread … and God
is being left out of any consideration as hatred takes grip of the heart of the
nation.
Scores of e-mails still arrive on a daily bases
spreading hatred and misinformation … bearing false witness? In the name of
Christ nationally known pastors and religious leaders on television continue to
stir the pot. The hate-jocks (conservative talk show hosts) speak in angry
tones of trying to preserve our beloved nation … spreading the message of hate
and anger. And, we are instructed in Holy Scripture that we are to leave
judgment and wrath in the hands of God … this is not our responsibility nor is
it our privilege.
A winless war is being waged. Billions of dollars
is being spent … money we do not have. Thousands of lives of young men and
women are being lost and tragically changed forever … all in the name of hatred
and anger.
When will this madness stop? When will we truly
turn back to being that Christian Nation that we so proudly talk about? When
will we become instruments of peace instead of war? When will we once again
become the hallmark of justice, democracy, and freedom? When? … When? … When?
Today we will remember where we were and what we
were doing on 9/11. We will remember the victims and mourn their passing. Their
names will be read once again by a family member at Ground Zero. But will we
stop the hatred and the anger or will we continue this madness and watch our
nation destroyed from within? Who wins God, a God of peace and love, or the
other guys? It is our decision … every day and every moment of every day. We
are either part of the problem or we are part of the solution.
Quote for today: Hate is like acid. It can damage
the vessel in which it is stored as well as destroy the object on which it is
poured. Ann Landers
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