Saturday, 10 September 2011
-
Christ and the War on Terror
By Sharon at SheWorshipsOn September 11, 2001 I was a junior in college. My brother had just moved to New York City to begin his freshman year at NYU, and he could see the Twin Towers from his dormitory. That same morning, hundreds of miles away, my roommate’s boyfriend sat in his office at the Pentagon while a plane slammed into the building. All the while, many of my classmates were panic-stricken as they tried to contact parents who worked in the World Trade Center. Like most Americans, I was personally connected to the events of that day.
Everyone remembers where they were on 9/11. We remember when we first heard the news, and when we saw the planes crash into the buildings. We remember who we called, and what we said. Ten years later, I can still feel the fear and the disbelief that shook my body that morning. At one point my roommate and I collapsed on our couch in tears and held one another’s hands as we prayed and cried out to God. It was an indescribably horrific day.
That day was also a turning point in our nation’s history. Just think about all that has changed in our country since then. Travelers can no longer pass through airport security without a ticket. Our government issues daily terrorist threat levels ranging from green to red. We have initiated two different wars.
But there has been another change in our country that goes beyond practice. September 11 changed our national psyche. Not only did 9/11 unite us, but it also shattered the illusion of our invincibility. We were attacked on our own soil, opening our eyes to a vulnerability we never knew we had, and injecting a new type of fear in into our culture. This newly introduced fear is perhaps why the war in Afghanistan was popularly called the “War on Terror.” America wasn’t simply going after Osama bin Laden; America was going after fear itself.
With the 10 year anniversary upon us, I’ve found myself reflecting on 9/11 quite a bit, and my mind keeps gravitating back to that term: war on terror. It is a label full of meaning, but it is particularly poignant for Christians.
For most people in the world today, the “war on terror” refers to an American military campaign. But for Christians it can mean something entirely different. As Christians, we know there is only One capable of waging a war against fear. There is only One who can storm the gates of Hell and triumph over death and destruction. There is only One who can truly wage war on terror, and win.
His name is Jesus.
I make that statement, not as a partisan political commentary on America’s defense strategies, but as a uniquely Christian hope. In a world where September 11th happened, it is easy to be fearful. It is also easy to respond to that fear by grasping for greater control, control over our lives and the chaotic world around us. When we face that temptation, when we face September 11, it is therefore important to remember that the war on terror has already been fought and won.
As we observe this 10th anniversary of September 11, it is right to mourn and it is right to remember. But we need not fear. Although 9/11 changed our country, it did not change our God. Our God is not the author of fear, but the vanquisher of it.
RecommendRelated Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to revelife's Revelife Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in revelife's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: sheworships
- Name: Sharon
- About Me: Sharon Hodde Miller is a North Carolina girl, born and raised! She is originally from Charlotte, NC, and she received her undergraduate degree and Masters of Divinity from Duke University. Sharon has worked for Proverbs 31 Ministries where she was a contributing writer to the ministry’s daily devotions and radio broadcasts. She has written for Relevant Magazine’s online articles, Lifeway’s Collegiate Magazine, Ungrind Webzine, and she continues to write and minister to women all over the world about being a Christian woman in an ever-changing culture. Sharon currently lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband, who is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Duke Divinity School. If you would like to contact her regarding a speaking or writing opportunity, if you have any questions, or would like to submit a blog topic, please e-mail her at sharon(at)sheworships(dot)com.
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 1 321 Views: 301 246124 Comments: 2 2710 View all posts by sheworships
Comments (8)
It may also be good to think about who put Osama bin Laden in power in the first place, or even put yourself in the place of someone who lives in the Middle East and how they view the United States after all we've done. Perhaps our sentiments over 911 should have humbled us to do a bit of self reflecting about why we are hated so much around the world.
Our response to 911 included a sustained war on Iraq, which we entered into with false premises, and false hopes. We've done nothing but create more willing terrorists in a land that had few before we started. I consider it reaping what we sowed, and what could be more biblical than that?@Da__Vinci@xanga - Thank you for rec this post. It was well done. Your comment is perfect. We are hated just about everywhere.
Leadership is lonely. People hated Christ because of what He stood for, but He knew it was right. That is where we should be. Do what is right, let the consequence follow.
I was just thinking about similar things this morning. Wouldn't it be really neat if each fearless Christ follower today was asked why they aren't afraid and they could answer with the message of Jesus? Thank you for giving me this angle to think about. I've thought about other things concerning Christ being dragged into the War on Terror, but I really enjoyed this aspect of it. Thank you!
@Endersig@xanga - I agree. We need to go what we know to be right, no matter the consequences. And Middle-Eastern oil is our right. Consequences be damned!
Jesus has nothing to do with this.
This is about the day 10 years ago where the imperialist pigs known as Americans got their wake up call, but instead of humbling themselves they got more arrogant and pulled the "I love Jesus, they don't" bull shit to get out of the reality that they were wrong.
And let's not forget that this "national unity" led to an "us vs. them" mentality, with "them" in many cases being the Muslim world in general. It gave George W. Bush, love him or hate him, more power than he would have had otherwise because he was the Christian, "bring 'em on" president. And he used 9/11 and his self-proclaimed direct line to God as justification to invade Iraq. I think that post-9/11 mentality led to a lot of manipulation of the American people, especially the "religious right." And that's something we're still seeing to this day with the "ground zero cross" debacle.
@GodlessLiberal@xanga - @TheMushyPear@xanga - @PinkLeopards@xanga -
At the end of the day, these sentiments stem from the basic thought "Who are we?"We are ashamed that America has led the world. We are ashamed that we have money and might. We ask ourselves "What did we do to deserve this?" when the question is really "What are we expected to do with this?". That makes us uncomfortable, knowing that we will be accountable for how we have used these awesome gifts that we, modern day Americans, just fell into.
Many would rather sluff off this responsibility, and beg to be just like everyone else. Easier than rising to potential and possibility is coasting with the masses.