Light Brings Salt

Volume 2, Issue 38 October 17, 2004

Iron Range Bible Church

Dedicated to the Systematic Exposition of the Word of God

Triumph over Tragedy

Certain Hope in Uncertain Times

After this unspeakable crime, (9/11) will anything ever be the same?'

The Economist

September 15, 2001

More than 60 years ago, on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, Americans were shocked when they heard that their nation was under attack at Pearl Harbor. In the years that followed, a world war was fought and won, but at a great price. And the world was never the same again. So, too, in the aftermath of Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, is a new war being fought around the globe. And the world will never be the same. Around the world there is agreement that life will be different in many respects for Americans and many others. What has emerged in the months since the attacks is not fear, but resolve-a resolve that a tragedy of such magnitude in such a manner will not happen again. No one is naive enough to think that this means conflicts will cease, war will no longer be waged, and swords will be turned into ploughshares. But there is a conviction that justice will be done with respect to the events of 9/11 and that the threat of terrorism will be diminished.

The Death of an Era

The cover of the British magazine The Economist for September 15, 2001 said it all. There was a picture of the smoking skyline of New York City and the words “The day the world changed: ‘ The magazine was right. The world did change that day. The collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center was more than the fall of a magnificent architectural feat. It was the fall of an era. When the walls of the World Trade Center and portions of the Pentagon crumbled, so too did the era of postmodernism. Artists, authors, economists, historians, politicians, philosophers, and theologians have recognized that we are now at the end of one age and the beginning of a new age. While there may not be agreement about what that new era is going to look like, few doubt that it now exists. Christian social critic Gene Edward Veith writes:

Post-modernists rejected the very possibility of objective truth, insisting that reality is only a construction of the culture or of a mind. But the planes that crashed into the buildings and into every American’s conscious-ness were no mental constructions. Objective reality in all of its hard edges asserted itself.

In postmodern thought, there was a rejection of any possibility of objective truth or morals. Morality was relative. Right and wrong varied according to cultures, individuals, or circum-stances. Right was decided by whatever people chose to be right for them. But all of that changed on 9/11. “The terrorists certainly made a choice, and what they did was right for them. But somehow their cold-blooded murder of thousands of ordinary men, women, and children was seen as pure evil, some-thing postmodernisms had professed not to believe in.” For postmodernisms, all cultures were the same and equally valid. Yet when Western civilization came under attack, its attackers were viewed as something to be repulsed. For more than a decade, Western civilization as an academic subject in universities had been viewed as not worth studying or saving; but instantly that had changed and “it began to be seen as some-thing worth defending. It became hard to consider the havens of Islamic terrorism, which teach hatred, oppression, and suicide bombing, as really being equal to the land of the free.”’ In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, the slogan “True for you, but not for me” no longer holds much appeal. There is now an opportunity for Christians to reassert the historic teachings of Christianity and the biblical worldview. If we are going to speak effectively to our age, we must understand it.’ We have a message of hope, certainty, and triumph to offer to all who will listen. The opening for these opportunities may well come in discussions about a subject that was rarely spoken of in public and private in the days prior to 9/11: the subject of evil.

The New Four-Letter Word

The covers of weekly news magazines, hosts on television talk shows, and newspapers throughout the world are using a word that hasn’t been seen or heard in contemporary culture for a long time-evil. An essay in Time magazine stated, “One of the consequences of 9/11 has been to revive, so to speak, the belief in evil.”

When we trade the truth of God for the lies of Satan-when we follow Adam and Eve on the course of sin from the Garden of Eden rather than following Jesus Christ on the course of righteousness from the cross-we ultimately bring ourselves, and others, to ruin. In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis wrote that “wickedness when you examine it, turns out to be the pursuit of some good in the wrong way.... evil is a parasite, not an original thing.”

Discussions about the nature, source, and course of evil are important. But for today’s society, a first step has been taken back to a biblical perspective by simply acknowledging the reality of evil. Christians now have the opportunity to proclaim afresh the gospel of Jesus Christ. As journalist Andree Seu writes, “Ours is a Spirit of boldness, not timidity, that compels us to speak something-not nothing-into a world that, since Sept. 11, 2001, still picks through the ashes of despondency and stumbles at noon as in the dark.” In this moment, we have a message to proclaim. It is a message of love, not evil, and it is the love of Jesus Christ.

A Broken Heart but Not a Crushed Spirit

Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). There are indeed storm clouds over us, and there are more on the horizon. Yet Christians are called to maintain an eternal perspective as well as a temporal one. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ will not make us immune to trauma and tragedy in life, but it will give us a perspective and hope that the rest of the world does not have.

Looking at terrorism in the twenty-first century, terrorist expert Brian Jenkins states for contemporary American society, Our most effective defense against terrorism will come not from surveillance, concrete barriers, metal detectors, or new laws, but from our own virtue, courage, continued dedication to our ideals of a free society, realism in our acceptance of risk, stoicism, intelligence and the skepticism that comes with it, the avoidance of extremism, and the humanity and sense of community too fleetingly expressed when we mourn our dead. It will come from true patriotism.

For the Christian, living effectively in this new age means that there is the additional call to discipleship and bearing the witness of Jesus Christ to a traumatized world. Christians are called to courage in this world, but that courage is to be rooted in the person and work of Jesus Christ. In the ancient world, courage was a valued virtue, but it was seen as rooted in the inner resources of the individual. Not so with Christian courage. Christian courage is found solely in Jesus Christ. Theologian Carl F. H. Henry notes that the Christian view is distinct and rejects the classical perspective of virtue and courage based on self-strength alone:

"Christianity repudiates that speculation. Jesus anchors courage in His victory over the world achieved by His resurrection as the crucified One, a decisive historical event that sets Christian realities apart from pagan mythology. Not self-reliance, but Christ the Overcomer is the hinge of history. Our lives and mission are in the nail-scarred hands of the Victor who vanquished the threatening postures of the world powers. Jesus says, “Take courage!” Christian courage centers in and around the Messiah who by His sinless life and bodily resurrection won and guarantees the victory over all the powers of evil and oppression and even of death.”

Christians have hope in this world because they have the certainty of eternal life. Current events can be viewed with an eternal perspective-a perspective that understands that God is at work in the world and that he uses events, good and bad, for his purposes. In addition, this perspective recognizes there will come a time of divine reckoning and justice for all people. In that day, there will be eternal comfort and peace for those who are Christians, and it will be Jesus Christ who comforts us: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). One day there will be a world without sorrow and terror.

A New Attitude, A New Perspective

As a nation and as individuals, we often forget our history and lose our perspective. We feel hopeless, unappreciated, and unwelcome. Sometimes we forget that the world doesn’t end until God says so. How we feel about the condition of the world has no influence on his plans. God is the hand in the glove of history, and he permits peoples, nations, and empires to rise and fall according to his purposes and his plan for the ages.

Too often we forget history. We forget how sinful the world was before the flood. We forget how corrupt the nation of Israel became from the reign of Jeroboam until the nation’s destruction in 722 B.C. We forget the moral decadence of Rome and the failure of the church during much of its history in the West. Some would even have us forget or rewrite the evils of Hitler and Nazi Germany and the brutalities of the Soviet Union under Stalin or the killing fields of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. Both the West and East have had more than enough dictators, tyrants, and oppressors.

Our nation has its shortcomings and failures, past and pre-sent, but it remains the greatest nation in the modern world. It is still a nation with great potential and a country where Christians have the freedom and opportunity to influence its future. Since 9/11, an opportunity to see it grow stronger and better has been opened to us-if we choose to take advantage of it. Remember Abraham’s concern for the righteous people who lived in two of the most wicked cities in biblical history, Sodom and Gomorrah. As he walked with God, it became clear to him that the destruction of these decadent cities was imminent. Immediately he focused on the righteous remnant that lived among the inhabitants of the first city upon which judgment would come. And he asked God, “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?” (Genesis 18:24). Abraham was greatly concerned about justice and that the righteous and the wicked not be treated alike. God responded to Abraham by promising that he would indeed spare the city if he found 50 righteous people living among the wicked. Abraham continued to decrease the number until he asked the Lord if he would spare the city for the sake of ten righteous inhabitants. Again, God said that he would do so. As long as one righteous person lived in Sodom, the city would not be judged. It was not until Lot and his immediate family departed from the city that destruction fell upon Sodom. We are at a strategic moment in the history of our nation and for the church of Jesus Christ. These are difficult times, but it is not the end of the world. We should not let doomsday threats and attitudes of despair cause us to disengage from the affairs of the day. As long as the righteous live among the wicked, the salt of eternal truth and the light that reflects off our application of truth must be present in every place that Christians live. Our message is one of hope, not despair. As citizens, let us help in the destruction of terrorism and the bringing of evil-doers to justice, and may peace and hope be our message. We should not love everything about the world system, but we must choose to love its inhabitants as long as God permits us to live among them. Not everyone will come to Christ, but Christians must be Christ to all.

In these days, Christians are called to be a people of faith, letting the light of salvation shine into the darkness of the world. Jesus Christ told his disciples, “I am the light of the world” (see John 8:12). That Light is more than adequate for the darkness of these days. And the Christian responsibility is enormous. As Mark Galli of Christianity Today writes:

To shoulder this responsibility at this historical moment is both a burden and a gift for Christians. But we must step into this future with humility, recognizing that we cannot know God’s will perfectly at every political turn; with patience, knowing that the fight for liberty is never won in a single generation; with sadness, realizing that on this side of the kingdom, justice is often impossible without some violence; and with a serenity that passes understanding, abiding in God’s grace for the meaning and measure of our lives.

For all its terror, 9/11 provides an opportunity to heal America’s broken heart. People are looking for answers that they previously thought they already knew. Christians must therefore act upon their faith and clearly represent the principles and values that have shaped this country and have historically been the foundation of its greatness. Nothing is irreversible where God is present.

We encourage you in these days to be knowledgeable of Scripture, confident in its truth, and always living out your faith before your neighbors, friends, family, and coworkers. Regardless of their religious affiliation, philosophical perspective, or ethnic background, share with them the love of Jesus Christ. We must present the truth and leave the results to God. Jesus told his disciples, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Christians are the reflection of a clear and certain hope in uncertain times that have a clear and present danger. It is because of our hope that we can have triumph over any and every tragedy. Today and in the days ahead, let us remember that Christians have always lived in tenuous times. In the uncertainty of his days, and in circumstances that eventually led to his death, the apostle Paul wrote this exhortation to Titus and, now to us:

The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you (Titus 2:11-15).

This article is an excerpt from a book In the Name of God, Understanding the Mindset of Terrorism by Timothy Demy and Gary P. Stewart. Both are Chaplains in the military.