Never Forget…

A couple years ago I had the privilege of going to New York City in order to help a local church leader connect with a NAMB church plant in the area. During our time there we had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 memorial in Manhattan.  It was a cold November evening so there were not many other people around.  The silence allowed the noise of the rushing waters to fill the air.  It was a sobering place As we reflect on the events of September 11th, 2001; we realize that since that day our world and our country has never been the same.  I was in college the day the towers fell and that very day I was supposed to go to the visitation for my grandfather, a navy veteran who also retired from the FAA.  My family could not travel from the western side of the U.S. because all air travel was suspended.  We all just sat in disbelief about what had happened. We have all been changed by the events of this day.  Even the church cannot say that she has escaped the effects of that day.

  1. The World Shrank
I was a young man when the towers fell.  Places such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia were little more than places on a map to me.  These places did not play much of a role in my life, and I did not think often about the people who lived there. Even my faith was a purely American endeavor.  The Great Commission meant I was supposed to share my faith with my classmates and fraternity brothers.  Place like those mentioned above were a world away and someone else’s responsibility.
That all changed on 9/11.  Suddenly, these places in the world seemed very close, and very important.  Suddenly, there was a group of people out there who believed differently than me and were willing to kill for it.  The world shrank that day, and people who were once so far away were now close enough to touch.
  1. Christianity, more than ever, was bound to patriotism.
I think everyone can remember how our churches filled up those first few weeks after 9/11.  Many people came looking for answers.  Other came to hear a comforting word from the Lord.  Still others came because those who had attacked us were Muslim and we were a “Christian Nation”.
Whatever the reasoning, after the events of 9/11, Christianity became an increasingly “American” faith.  We made sure to keep the American flag on prominent display in our churches.  We did more to celebrate Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day.  We also made a point to pray publicly for our leaders and for our soldiers.
While none of this is bad, it was not necessarily a good thing either.  This patriotism came with a lack of love for those outside of our country’s borders.  The church seemed to take on a “take care of our own” mentality, which does not honor the Great Commission.
Jesus said, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)  One thing we must remember as we celebrate the freedoms we have as a country and pray for our soldiers is that the Great Commission was always intended to transcend national borders and the differences between people groups.

 

  1. The people of Islam need the Gospel
In contrast to the change mentioned above, we also became very aware that the nation of Islam needed to hear the gospel.  Now, I am not saying that there weren’t people who were particularly burdened to bring Jesus to Muslims around the globe.  However, I do think that most Americans did not have a clear understanding of Islam and American Christianity did not see the tremendous need to share the Gospel with people from Islamic Countries.
Today we speak a great deal about what God is going in the 10/40 window (https://joshuaproject.net/resources/articles/10_40_window) and we are regularly challenging individuals and churches to do all they can to reach people from these countries.
We must be reminded that God loves the Muslim just like he loves the Buddhist and the Atheist.  9/11 serves as a witness that the only thing that can truly thwart Islamic extremism is the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

  Today I am praying for all those whose lives were forever changed by the events of 9/11.  There were so many who did not return home from work that day; so many that were forced to move forward without the people they love.  I am also praying for all of our service men and women who answered the call to stop terrorism both here and abroad.  I am praying for the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, both our military and first-responders. But I am also praying for our missionaries in the field who are trying to bring the Gospel to those in Islamic nations.  I am praying for them and for the people who will hear the Gospel through them.   May these people hear the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be transformed by it!