Theology

God’s Message in the Language of Events

Nick Lillo

“In the face of evil, we must focus on keeping our hearts right”

Christianity Today September 1, 2001
Pastors—indeed, all of us—will struggle this week to find meaning in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. In April 1999 Nick Lillo faced a similar task when his church, Littleton, Colorado’s Centennial Community Church, was overwhelmed with news of the Columbine High School shootings. The following is Lillo’s sermon on overcoming such terrible evil.

Preachers are given two responsibilities: one is to explain the Scriptures, relating them to life issues. At other times our job is to take life and explain it in light of the Scriptures. This morning we wrestle with the second of those two tasks.

To be honest with you, I’m not sure I can do that. I don’t have any answers, nor do I have any explanations. But it’s important for us to try because the events of last week will touch us more deeply and for much longer than we know.

Yesterday morning I went over to Clement Park, and that was hard, especially when I walked around and read what people wrote. I looked at the teddy bears, the flowers, and the balloons. I watched people cry; it ripped my heart out as I observed people wrestling with this because it was so senseless and such an incredible waste.

But we need to try to make sense of it and realize how vulnerable and dependent we are. It is at these moments that we are most open to God doing things in our lives, and maybe God will do some things in our lives.

God speaks to us in the language of events. It’s the nature of the church to share what we think we heard God say. So as I pondered this week what I would say to you this morning, I called some of the people whom I respect greatly and asked them, “What is God saying to you? What do you think he wants to say to his people?” Their help was incredible. Based on those discussions, I have five things I want to share with you.

Overcome evil with goodThe first thing I want to share with you is this: I am convinced the only thing that overcomes evil is good. Part of what motivated Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold was revenge. They felt mistreated, rejected, and abused, and this was a way of taking revenge and getting back—evil responding to evil, hate responding to hate. I read that they shouted as they entered into the building, “This is for all the people who made fun of us all these years,” and then they laughed and opened fire.

This is our temptation as well. There’s a part of us that would like to get even. I was at the mall Friday, and there was a young man leaning up against the wall near the entrance. He wore a black trench coat, black clothes, and black military boots. Half of his head was shaved, and the other half had long hair. I was really irritated, and I told my wife, “I don’t think he has a clue. He’s just asking for trouble. If he dresses like that, somebody’s going to lash out at him.”

I looked inside myself, and I’m ashamed to admit it, but I hoped someone would lash out at him. I realized, That’s hate responding to hate. That’s evil responding to evil, and the only way to overcome evil is with good.

Someone in our church sent me a story about a father of an Oklahoma bombing victim. It is a powerful story of how this father reached out to the father of Timothy McVeigh. I want to read to you what this woman wrote when she sent me the story:

“The thing that has become clear to me is that hate begets hate, and when we respond to hate with hate we become just like the ones we hate, even if we never do the same horrible things they did.

“Those two kids allowed hate to take root in their hearts, and it grew until the fruit of it erupted in this violence. Hate in our hearts can keep Christ out of our hearts. It becomes a locked and guarded portion of our hearts into which Christ cannot enter.”

It hit me that Jesus experienced all the hatred and injustice and violence that the leaders of this world could pour out on him, and he was also victim of the mindless hate and the violence of the crowd and the Roman soldiers who had nothing against him personally but who used him as an excuse to vent the hatred in their hearts. But Jesus did not take on and return their hate, and he did not let it change him from his course of revealing the Father’s love, his love even for God’s enemies. Love is stronger than hate because hate enslaves, and the decision to love brings freedom.

In Romans 12:21, Paul says, “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” We have seen many examples of this during the past week: people willing to work together; people and organizations being generous and supportive; and people praying and reaching out to others who are hurting. In many ways evil has been confronted with good.

I wonder if the capacity to overcome evil with good, to respond to hate with love, can filter into our lives, because we’ve seen the consequences if it doesn’t. I wonder what mistreatment in our lives we need to respond to with good and what hate we need to meet with love.

Acknowledge the evil insideThe second thing I thought we should ponder is this: all of us have a dark side. In the paper there was a picture of a hand painted sign propped up against a tree in Clement Park. The sign said, “These flowers and prayers are for the innocent victims and their families, not for the two monsters that committed this selfish act.”

One woman who was there to leave a bouquet of flowers saw the sign, and she whispered to no one in particular, “I want to give them to the monsters, too.” And she left her flowers at another makeshift memorial.

I’ve been thinking long and hard this week and asking myself, Were these kids really monsters? No doubt, they did monstrous things. Part of me wants to say they were monsters because that makes my world fit together. If they are not like me, then my world can still make sense. But were they monsters? I don’t know.

I do know that each one of us has potential for incredible good and potential for incredible evil. I don’t think any of us would commit mass murder. That seems off the scale to me. But we also struggle. We, too, have incredible capacity for evil.

We would like to think evil is something outside of ourselves or only in other people. But when I look inside my heart, I discover evil is in me. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”

I also know these kids were not always monsters. In the paper this week I read about kids who liked baseball, kids who were exceptionally bright, kids who had friends of other races, kids that seemed normal when they were young.

But something went terribly wrong. Something turned them from normal kids to monstrous kids, and somehow these kids fed the dark side of their soul with the wrong kind of friends, music, books, movies, and games.

Value people over thingsThe third thing to think about is that this event should give us a better perspective on life. You think about the events of last Tuesday and suddenly you realize many of the things we normally consider valuable and chase after—money, possessions, cars, houses, success, and power—do not matter. If you stood at Leewood High School when the buses were coming in and you asked parents what they would give to see their kid get off that bus, they would tell you, “I would give anything in the world.” Anything! What matters in life is people.

I was touched as I read about Dave Sanders, the teacher who was heroic in his effort to save kids. As he was bleeding to death, the kids pulled out his wallet and showed him a picture of his family, trying to get him to hang on. One of the last things he said was “Tell my daughters I love them.”

This event forces us to face the truth that what counts is people. It’s easy to forget that, and we’re often hesitant to tell them.

Mike Fenn, one of our associate pastors, was talking to one of our junior high kids whose brother was hiding inside the building. He said to her, “I bet you didn’t realize how much you loved your brother, and I bet you regretted a bunch of those mean things you said to him over the years.”

The girl said, “Yeah, I didn’t realize how much I loved him.”

Then Mike asked her, “Well, did you tell him?”

She replied, “No!”

There are no guarantees in life. Those who are here today may not be here tomorrow. So we need to keep short accounts and have no regrets. Some of us need to make relationships right; some need to give hugs; some need to take a long and hard look at where their time goes and to what they are giving their lives to. Suffering, although we sometimes try to block it out, gives us perspective on life because it helps us see what’s important.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes that God comforts us in our troubles so we are able to comfort those who are troubled with the same comfort we receive from God. When this tragedy is behind us, will it be easy to hear about lives lost and simply block it out of our minds and our hearts? Perhaps these events will make us more compassionate and loving.

Seek safety in God aloneThe last thought to ponder is this: safety is not ultimately found in a secure place or a safe situation, but safety is only found in God.

I was with a woman at Foothills Bible Church after their prayer service on Wednesday afternoon. When she came out, she was distraught. She is an old friend and wanted to talk. She said, “I need to register my kids in a private school. If I don’t do it today, all the places will be taken.”

As she talked to me, I could relate to that. I have five kids of my own, and I want to keep them safe. They are the joy of my life.

Then I realized two things. First, I realized no place or circumstance is truly safe. Two weeks ago if you asked the parents at Columbine High School if it was a safe place, they would have told you, “Yes. Great school. Great faculty. Great campus. It is in a great part of town. Bad things don’t happen out there in southwest Denver.” One of the fathers whose son was killed moved his kids from schools in another district to Columbine because it was safe.

There are no safe places. Kids are 99 times more likely to be a victim of homicide in a community than in the school. You must realize that safety isn’t found in a place; that’s an illusion. Safety is only found in God because he is the only one who can preview our lives and even our deaths. The psalmist says in Psalm 121, “I lift my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” God is the only one that can keep us and our kids safe.

I thought about Cassie, who was a believer and part of the youth group at West Bowls Community Church. She was in the library. On National Public Radio they reported she was praying during the shootings. One of the gunmen asked her if she believed in Jesus, rather than asking her if she believed in God. She thought about it for a moment. She thought about it because she knew her answer would make a difference. The moment she said yes, he shot her.

What the paper doesn’t tell you, but we know to be true, is at that moment she entered into the presence of God. Some things are more important than safety—speaking the truth is more important than preserving your life.

The truth is all of us here this morning will die. It may be when we’re young; it may be when we’re old. But we will die. There will be a day when some pastor or official stands in front of our friends and family and tries to comfort them. At the moment of your death, the only thing that matters is your relationship with Jesus Christ. He is still the last and the best hope for all of us; he is the only one who truly can keep us safe.

That’s why in John 16:33 Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Nick Lillo is pastor of Centennial Community Church in Littleton Colorado. This sermon originally appeared in Preaching Today Audio, a monthly sermon resource produced by PreachingToday.com and Christianity Today International.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Also appearing on our site today in response to the terrorist attacks:

Experts Say Spiritual Roots Will Aid in Coping With Catastrophe | Pray and connect with others, advise nation’s chaplains.

Fear and Hate | In times like this, as in all other times, Christians have a responsibility to love above all else.

Church Leaders Around World Deplore ‘Unspeakable Horror’ of Attack | Christians urged to unite in prayer as they unite in shock and denunciation.

See the homepage for Lillo’s Centennial Community Church in Littleton, Colorado.

PreachingToday.com is a resource from Christianity Today International.

Christianity Today’s coverage of the Columbine tragedy included:

Church, State, and Columbine | Since the infamous massacre, America has been rethinking the role of religion in the public square. (April 20, 2001)

Columbine’s Tortuous Road to Healing | One year later, survivor’s recovery is filled with painful twists and turns. (April 14, 2000)

Videos of Hate | Columbine killers harbored anti-Christian prejudice (Jan. 26, 2000)

Retailers Marketing Martyrdom to Teens | Littleton Massacre Now Merchandise Opportunity (Nov. 12, 1999)

Cassie Said Yes, They Said No | The mainstream press unquestioningly accepted Salon.com’s flimsy ‘debunking’ of the Columbine confession. (Nov. 1, 1999)

‘Do You Believe in God?’ | Columbine and the stirring of America’s soul. (Oct. 4, 1999)

Tough Love Saved Cassie | How the Bernalls helped Cassie break with old friends and build a new life. (Oct. 4, 1999)

Yancey: Can Good Come Out of This Evil? (June 14, 1999)

Ideas

Fear and Hate

“In times like this, as in all other times, Christians have a responsibility to love above all else.”

Christianity Today September 1, 2001
Attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania have provoked a variety of emotions for Christians in the U.S. and around the world. Certainly the dominant feelings American Christians are feeling now are fear and anger. What is a Christian response to these feelings? Here are a few thoughts from the Christianity Today archives.

In a September 16, 1991, editorial, Christianity Today editorialized that fear has its place—but it must not be controlling.

Fear was designed by God to give our bodies the sudden bursts of strength and speed we need in emergencies. But when fear becomes a permanent condition, it can paralyze the spirit, keeping us from taking the risks of generosity, love, and vulnerability that characterize citizens of God’s kingdom. …

But, as it is said, just because you’re paranoid does not mean they’re not after you. The real question is whether, in the face of a challenge, the Christian reaction should be fear or something else. As the Bible says, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship” (Rom. 8:15).

That verse occurs in the context of one of the most confidence-building chapters in the Bible. And the confidence it builds is confidence, not in ourselves, but in God. The reasons Paul gives are capsulized in words that outline the nature of our relationship with God. We are “sons;” we are “loved;” we are “led by the Spirit,” we are “predestined;” we are “elect;” we are “called according to his purpose.” And in all this we are “more than conquerors.”

The message of Romans 8 encourages neither “positive thinking” nor flight from reality. It lists graphically the challenges and obstacles we face: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword. But it finds confidence in a greater reality, the overwhelming love of God.

In an October 22, 1990, Christianity Today editorializedon growing racism and hatred following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. As we post this article, it is unknown who is behind today’s attacks. But it is certain that many Americans are already blaming radical Muslim and Arab groups—and hatred seems to be a common theme on today’s call-in programs:

When international disputes escalate to this extent, the church has a special responsibility to douse the flames of hatred here at home.

First of all, the church must apply its teaching that we all stand as individuals before God to the context of war and racism. The prophets Ezekiel (chap. 18) and Jeremiah (31:29-34) liberated their readers from the idea that spiritual standing before God was tied to family, clan, or race. The apostle Peter was also taught of the Holy Spirit that nationality makes no difference to God (Acts 10:34-35, 47; 11:15-18).

In wartime particularly, understanding the spiritual significance of the individual is important, for we tend to tar members of an enemy race with a milewide brush. Readers who have lived long enough will remember posters portraying the German “Hun” as a fearsome, subhuman menace. Such characterization is the standard way to run a war, but a terrible way to work for peace. The way to overcome hostility is to get to know individuals, and the church could help us do this. Through multi-ethnic fellowship we will learn that many who have family ties to our country’s adversaries are loyal Americans. Arab-Americans may love their mothers’ tabouleh, but most are as distressed as the rest of us by Hussein’s hostilities.

Second, the church must be a channel of cultural and geographical information, even when the public schools are not. Because of their missions resources, many churches already have regular opportunities to put a human face on those who live in other cultures.

In the case of the Arab world specifically, the church can teach that Christianity has been a part of Middle Eastern culture since its beginning. (Why do we act as if Christianity started in America’s Middle West rather than the planet’s Middle East?) And that to this day there are strong, indigenous Christian communities there. Not all Arabs are Muslims. Not all Muslims are radical followers of crazed ayatollahs. (And, by the way, most Iranians are not Arabs.)

A little information like this would go a long way toward preventing hostility and promoting understanding in our own home towns.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Also appearing on our site today in response to the terrorist attacks:

Experts Say Spiritual Roots Will Aid in Coping With Catastrophe | Pray and connect with others, advise nation’s chaplains.

God’s Message in the Language of Events | In the face of evil, we must focus on keeping our hearts right.

Church Leaders Around World Deplore ‘Unspeakable Horror’ of Attack | Christians urged to unite in prayer as they unite in shock and denunciation.

This afternoon, President Bush spoke on the tragedy from Barksdale Air Force Base and upon first hearing of the attack this morning in Sarasota, Fla. asked for a moment of silence for the victims.

For coverage of today’s attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., see Yahoo full coverage.

Church Life

In the Belly of the Beast

Tony Carnes

“Christians, calling terrorist attack satanically brilliant, minister at epicenter of World Trade disaster”

Christianity Today September 1, 2001
The churches near World Trade Towers in New York City were shaken but gave immediate sanctuary to victims of the terrorist explosions on Tuesday that destroyed the lower Manhattan neighborhood, an area now called by many New Yorkers “the Belly of the Beast.” Communication with some churches remains cut off. The death toll in New York City alone is expected to be in the thousands.

Terry Vega-Ramiriz, a staffer at Primitive Christian Church, was walking out of the subway at 9 a.m. when she saw a plane flying extremely low. “The plane was silvery and smaller than a big jumbo liner. All of sudden there was an explosion that sounded like two big booms.”

Running to the church, which is within walking distance of the trade towers, Vega-Ramiriz helped other staff members to open up their doors, set-up prayer groups and call for help. “People covered in ashes started walking in.”

At the nearby Overseas Chinese Mission, the largest church in Chinatown, pastor Andrew Lee stayed over night Tuesday to provide what ever help was necessary. The church nestles right next to the court and police headquarters in downtown Manhattan. After the nine-story church building shook for several seconds, Lee ran up to the roof to see what happened. He thought that there might have been a construction accident with the huge cranes up the block. Instead, he saw “orange flames shooting several floors high out of the World Trade Center.” Soon after, a church member in the U.S. Air Force Reserve came with the eyewitness news that it looked like the second plane’s attack had angled precisely to cause maximum structural damage.

Lee started to prepare the church to help refugees from the attacks. “Within forty-five minutes of the first crash, church people started coming in. They were trying to find a place to stay. They didn’t know where else to go. People then started coming in covered and hacking with a fine gray ash that was in the air.” The church provided phones, e-mails, and a television so people could catch up with what was going on. “In the shock of everything, they wanted to find out about loved ones. Several prayer groups gathered on our different floors.”

Many of church leaders who were interviewed by Christianity Today said that they were still in shock and numb. Lee says, “The shock is still lasting, but it doesn’t immobilize you from thinking about the implications.”

Diane Sahateo, a production specialist at the book publisher Harry Abrams Inc, joined everyone else to huddle around the television for news. Then, she turned to another Christian, saying, “We need to pray.” Reports have come of impromptu prayers all over the city. Several prayer groups were witnessed right outside the trade towers before they collapsed. One federal officer said, “We need prayer in here, in the belly of the beast.”

Suhateo and her group came out of their prayer convinced that God is still in charge and “wants us to be a light to those around us.” Prayer services were scheduled Tuesday night by several churches, including Primitive Christian Church, Central Baptist Church, and Emmanuel Presbyterian Church.

Redeemer Presbyterian Church has many attenders who work in the World Trade Towers. Church leaders were particularly concerned about members who were working in the twelve floors that Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, the investment firm, leases in the towers. By late Tuesday afternoon, Redeemer’s pastor Tim Keller reported that he had not yet heard of anyone from the church among the killed. However, Keller says, “I can’t help believe that there are some.”

Keller was most encouraged that within a few minutes of the blast several churches in his Presbyterian Church of America denomination had called to offer help to the church or to anyone the church was helping. “It immediately made us feel a little more confident, like we can go looking for things to do.”

The church is preparing to help New Yorkers process the horrific experience. Keller says, “We have to address the fear and even the problem of hate. Right after the Sunday service, we are going to have a memorial service for everyone that died. We are going to cancel our classes, mourn our losses and thank God for the homegoing of Christians.”

Keller says that churches also need to help respond to the real hatred for the terrorists. “If those towers hadn’t come down, I think it would have been different. The coming down was much more horrific and will forever stand for an intrusion, a hostile attack.” The pastor says that New Yorkers will viscerally feel the horror for years. “It was satanically brilliant. Now, every time you see that empty space you will not be able to put it out of your mind. I felt a hatred well up in me, so I thought, well, we are going to have to deal with that too.”

Christian men and women on the front line of the terrorist war feel that justice also needs to be practiced. Kenneth Wong, a federal officer and leader at Trust In God Baptist Church near the World Trade Towers, says he worries about his fellow officers on the scene and wants something to be done. “I am wondering about my Secret Service and U.S. Customs brothers and sisters based in 7 World Trade Center.” World Trade building 7 collapsed late Tuesday afternoon. Attempts by CT to reach a list of security personnel who were active leaders in their local churches were often met with a “We don’t know where he or she is.” Wong says, “This is an act of war as far as I am concerned.” The officer also worries that it won’t be easy “for the U.S. to be good guys any more.”

Mitch Glaser, president of Chosen People Ministries, in New York City, says his ministry has spent the day tracking down personnel and their children to make sure that they are safe. “We understand that there is a possibility that they will be after Jewish targets, and we have a menorah engraved on the front of our building.”

Chosen People, which evangelizes Jewish people, sent medical doctors and nurses to help at downtown Beth Israel Hospital and offered help to a nearby Judaic synagogue.

Glaser says that the day for the terrorist attack may have been chosen because September 11th is the anniversary of the Camp David peace accords. “The terrorists are trying to show that the U.S. or any Western nation that stands with Israel and the Jewish people will be punished.”

Glen Kleinknecht, director of Here’s Life Inner City of Campus Crusade for Christ, says that they set up a prayer station at the Queens end of the 59th Street (Queensborough) Bridge. Cars were banned and the bridge was filled with people fleeing NYC. They offered to pray with anyone that wanted to stop and pray. “We put up a sign saying, ‘Free prayer,’ Kleinknecht said. “People were respectful and many stopped. They didn’t want to stay long but they prayed and took some literature.” Several other groups also have put up prayer stations around the city.

Kleinknecht says that he thinks that New Yorkers seem to be handling the emotional impact of the disaster well. “New Yorkers have grown up with a certain tolerance of a level chaos. They are not as put off by chaos. We have found that people here in the city want to step out and to help out rather than focusing on their own needs.”

Tony Carnes is Senior News Writer for Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Christianity Today‘s other articles on the attacks include:

In the Belly of the Beast | Christians, calling terrorist attack “satanically brilliant,” minister at epicenter of World Trade disaster. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Churches, Agencies Respond to Attacks | Leaders call for prayer, justice, and mercy. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Muslims Fear a Backlash | No matter who is responsible, observers feel a reaction will still be present. (Sept. 12, 2001)

A Wake-Up Call to Become Global Christians | The deadly attacks on America will provoke many responses, but Christians are commanded to love our neighbors. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Nation’s Religious Leaders Urge Calm, Pray for Peace | Churches will maintain prayer vigils for victims and leaders. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Church Leaders Around World Deplore ‘Unspeakable Horror’ of Attack | Christians urged to unite in prayer as they unite in shock and denunciation. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Experts Say Spiritual Roots Will Aid in Coping With Catastrophe | Pray and connect with others, advise nation’s chaplains. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Fear and Hate | In times like this, as in all other times, Christians have a responsibility to love above all else. (Sept. 11, 2001)

God’s Message in the Language of Events | In the face of evil, we must focus on keeping our hearts right. (Sept. 11, 2001)

For in-depth and continuing coverage of the attacks, see The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN, and Yahoo full coverage.

For more Christian perspectives and responses, see various articles posted Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, and Beliefnet.com.

The BBC, Boston.com, The Village Voice, and USA Today have photo essays of yesterday’s destruction.

For video or audio coverage, see CNN, ABC News,and Sky News. The Washington Post is running a live Web cam of the Pentagon building.

The BBC has compiled reactions from world leaders (with video).

President Bush addressed the nation on Tuesday evening (video | transcript). He also released a statement Tuesday afternoon. Bush first learned of the World Trade Center tragedy while preparing to speak to schoolchildren in Sarasota, Fla.. There, he asked Amercians for a moment of silence for the victims.

Slate.com explained who responds to crisis situations like Tuesday’s.

The Pope and Billy Graham have spoke out on the tragedy and sent out prayers to the victims and their families.

An Interpol report details the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

The Washington Post has a list of tenants of the World Trade Center.

The New York Blood Centers declared a blood emergency after the Sept. 11 attacks.

See the Web sites of churches in the article including: Primitive Christian Church, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Chosen People Ministries, and Here’s Life Inner City of Campus Crusade for Christ.

“Weblog: Prayer, Pain, and Prophecies Follow Attacks”

Ted Olsen

Mainstream and Christian media note the religious fallout of yesterday’s horrific events

Christianity Today September 1, 2001
As The New York Timesnotes today, some Weblogs are practically made for events like these, allowing both posters and readers to share news and emotions. One great examples of this yesterday was found at Metafilter, where a massive community of readers was able not only to share personal stories of involvement with the tragedy, but also relayed information about what Web sites were working and how to work around those that weren’t. (robots.cnn.com was working long after www.cnn.com was overloaded, for example, and the British Sky News was even able to offer live streaming video all day long even when the major news sites couldn’t offer text.)

The Christianity Today Weblog, however, is a different kind of Weblog—mainly a collection of links to major news Web sites. This morning connections are still sporadic. If you can’t get through at first, keep hitting your “refresh” button; the stories will come up eventually.

News on the death toll, responsibility, and other such matters will surely continue to develop all day long—check out Yahoo full coverage,.The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN, and other such sites for updates. Rumors, conspiracy theories, and the occasional hard news tidbit will be available at WorldNetDaily, the Drudge Report, and elsewhere. Christianity Today Weblog’s main concern this morning is with how the attack is affecting the country’s religious life.

According to media around the country, one of the chief immediate effects of the attacks was the nation’s unifying in prayer. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Detroit News (two stories), The Baltimore Sun, Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and other papers all have stories this morning about how churches opened for prayer vigils and counseling.

At some of those prayer services, congregations heard the news of loss. Christ Church of Oak Brook, a Chicago-area megachurch (which Weblog used to attend) announced that associate pastor Jeffrey Mladenik was aboard one of the flights from Boston that was hijacked and crashed. His wife and four children were reportedly not with him at the time.

Other news stories around the Web seek guidance and comment from religious leaders. Fuller Seminary president Richard Mouw tells Beliefnet, “For those of us who look to the Book for guidance, we would do best to follow the example of the Psalm-writers: argue with God, ask the Lord where he is, allow the tears to flow, let the anger express itself, plead for mercy. And for followers of Jesus: look to the Cross, where we believe that the incarnate God experienced the depth of human suffering and abandonment on our behalf—and hold on to the promise that what happened in the death of Jesus is the essential ingredient for the final victory over these monstrous evils.”

Crosswalk.com quotes Jerry Falwell: “Obviously, war has been launched against the United States … The only weapon we have as believers in Jesus Christ is prayer.”

Compilations of statements from other Christian leaders are also available from Associated Baptist Press and WorldNetDaily.

Slightly unexpected commentary from religious celebrities include a few leaders who say they prophesied the attack. On The 700 Club last night, Pat Robertson touted a Labor Day message where he predicted terrorist attacks. “My only problem was that I was off in my dating,” Robertson explained at the end of the broadcast. “It came much quicker than I thought and it’s much more extreme than I thought. … And I’ll tell you tonight, this isn’t the end of it.” (Hmmm. Weblog remembers hearing something about prophecies from God having to be 100 percent correct—otherwise they’re false prophecies.) Robertson, who says God gave him the knowledge that this would happen, says he’s also clear who’s behind it. “This comes straight out of the struggle in the Middle East,” he said. “This country has finally waked up to the reality of what our friends in Israel have been experiencing for years, the reality of Islamic fundamentalist terror. … There is no doubt in my mind that Israel is going to have to move against the Palestinians.” Another “prophetic word” came from Operation Rescue’s Flip Benham, who said he gave America “its own final warning over the shedding of innocent blood” on September 8 during a protest in front of the White House.

In a more down-to-earth analysis, Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs tells Mission Network News that the attack will have major repercussions on U.S.-based missionary and relief organizations around the world. “I would venture to say that most missionary organizations, especially those working in politically sensitive areas, would have some kind of a crisis plan,” he says. “For most of the Americans on the ground in another country right now, the best advice is to lay low, stay out of sight.”

Speaking of missionaries and relief workers, The Washington Post reports, “Some regional analysts said that the people on trial [by the Taliban for promoting Christianity]—four Germans, two Americans and two Australians—might now be used by the Taliban to ensure a restrained U.S. reaction if Washington decides to launch any retaliatory move against Afghanistan or [Osama] bin Laden.”

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

See our past Weblog updates:

September 10

September 7 | 6 | 5 | 4

August 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27

August 24 | 23 | 22 | 20

August 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 |13

August 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6

August 3 | 2 | 1 July 31 | 30

July 27 | 25 | 24 | 23

July 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16

Church Life

“Churches, Agencies Respond to Attacks”

LaTonya Taylor

“Leaders call for prayer, justice, and mercy”

Christianity Today September 1, 2001
With the nation’s capital paralyzed and nearly evacuated in the wake of Tuesday’s calamitous terrorist attacks, staffers in the Family Research Council (FRC) Washington office stayed behind to pray and to sing “It is well with my soul.” Ken Connor, president of the FRC, said, “We mourn the loss of tens of thousands of our countrymen. We pray to the Lord for his mercy for the victims of this heinous act and for their grieving families.”

Churches, relief organizations and Christian organizations went into emergency response mode after terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., killed and injured thousands in what former White House Counsel and Prison Fellowship Chairman Chuck Colson called “a national crisis of unparalleled proportions.”

The North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention, which coordinates disaster responses, placed feeding units on standby within an hour of the attack. The denomination is also accepting donations to support relief in New York City, according to NAMB President Robert Reccord. According to Baptist Press, other disaster relief units may be mobilized by the end of the day.

Disaster relief workers from mainline denominations were meeting at the Church World Service Emergency Office today in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The coalition is a group of 36 member denominations of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. The meeting went into immediate emergency session when the attack occurred, and participants formulated a plan to mobilize pastoral care in New York City, Washington, D.C., and other locations as necessary. The Church of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Maryland, is the communication and response coordination center.

Smoke and debris from the World Trade Center attack were visible in Uptown New York City at the Interchurch Center, where the National Council of Churches and Church World Service are located. Spokesman Carol Fouke said staff members held a noontime prayer service at the organization’s chapel today, and may also hold a blood drive. Staff members are also trying to coordinate housing for those unable to get home. They are also praying for people who are waiting to hear about family members near or in the World Trade Center.

Gil Furst, director of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Domestic Disaster, is asking all churches and synods on the East Coast to be open for shelter, prayer and counseling. The organization is also preparing copies of materials to help children who have been traumatized by the attacks. Lutheran Disaster Response has also started a fund for survivors.

World Relief Executive Director Clive Calver says while the organization has never been involved in a man-made disaster in the United States, “this disaster is one of such magnitude” that World Relief is responding. Calver, who was driving from Chicago to the organization’s base in Baltimore because of the nationwide airport shutdown, said World Relief “is monitoring the situation right now and we’re ready to receive a call once the damage is assessed and the need made plain.”

World Relief, the assistance arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, has started a fund to help churches ministering to the affected and will decide Wednesday whether to produce a booklet for area pastors dealing with the disaster. Calver says the organization will also help mobilize local churches to assist in practical efforts.

The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, part of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, is also gathering teams of trained chaplains and counselors to support survivors, and the Board of General Superintendents of the Nazarene Church also has called for prayer.

The attack affected several Christian organizations with offices in New York, Maryland and Virginia. The national headquarters of the Salvation Army had closed by 10:30 a.m. EST.

Craig Barnes, pastor of National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., told Presbyterian News Service that the church is still trying to locate several members who work at the Pentagon or who might have been in New York. The church planned prayer vigils for Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

Leaders called for prayer, justice, and mercy in response to the attack.

“As Christians, it is important that we behave responsibly at this time and not act harshly,” said George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA. “We offer prayers for our leaders, who must reassure a shaken nation and investigate today’s terrible deeds. Our first thoughts should be to respond to our fellow human beings with love and compassion.”

Calver, a Brit, urged the U.S. to avoid vengeful response. “Don’t seek for revenge,” Calver said. “We must seek for justice. The danger is that we will respond in kind.”

Despite the uncertainty and fear surrounding the attack, Colson said one thing is clear.

“The soul of our nation is facing one of its darkest hours,” he said. “May God help us.”

LaTonya Taylor is editorial resident at Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Christianity Today‘s other articles on the attacks include:

In the Belly of the Beast | Christians, calling terrorist attack “satanically brilliant,” minister at epicenter of World Trade disaster. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Churches, Agencies Respond to Attacks | Leaders call for prayer, justice, and mercy. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Muslims Fear a Backlash | No matter who is responsible, observers feel a reaction will still be present. (Sept. 12, 2001)

A Wake-Up Call to Become Global Christians | The deadly attacks on America will provoke many responses, but Christians are commanded to love our neighbors. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Nation’s Religious Leaders Urge Calm, Pray for Peace | Churches will maintain prayer vigils for victims and leaders. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Church Leaders Around World Deplore ‘Unspeakable Horror’ of Attack | Christians urged to unite in prayer as they unite in shock and denunciation. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Experts Say Spiritual Roots Will Aid in Coping With Catastrophe | Pray and connect with others, advise nation’s chaplains. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Fear and Hate | In times like this, as in all other times, Christians have a responsibility to love above all else. (Sept. 11, 2001)

God’s Message in the Language of Events | In the face of evil, we must focus on keeping our hearts right. (Sept. 11, 2001)

For in-depth and continuing coverage of the attacks, see The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN, and Yahoo full coverage.

For more Christian perspectives and responses, see various articles posted Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, and Beliefnet.com.

The BBC, Boston.com, The Village Voice, and USA Today have photo essays of yesterday’s destruction.

For video or audio coverage, see CNN, ABC News,and Sky News. The Washington Post is running a live Web cam of the Pentagon building.

The BBC has compiled reactions from world leaders (with video).

President Bush addressed the nation on Tuesday evening (video | transcript). He also released a statement Tuesday afternoon. Bush first learned of the World Trade Center tragedy while preparing to speak to schoolchildren in Sarasota, Fla.. There, he asked Amercians for a moment of silence for the victims.

Slate.com explained who responds to crisis situations like Tuesday’s.

The Pope and Billy Graham have spoke out on the tragedy and sent out prayers to the victims and their families.

An Interpol report details the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

Churches and organizations mentioned above include: Family Research Council, North American Mission Board, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The National Presbyterian Church, World Relief, and Christian Reformed World Relief Committee

Muslims Fear a Backlash

Art Moore

“No matter who is responsible, observers feel a reaction will still be present.”

Christianity Today September 1, 2001
Though the perpetrators of Tuesday’s massive terrorist attack on the United States have not been identified, Arab and Muslim Americans in the United States say they fear a backlash from fellow citizens.

Aslam Abdullah, vice chairman of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Los Angeles, says his group received a number of threatening phone calls and e-mails on Tuesday from unidentified people. “Basically their message is the same: Pack up and leave. You have no place in America,” Abdullah says.

Jean Abinader of the Arab American Institute monitored talk radio from the public policy group’s Washington, d.c., office. “(Tuesday) morning I was hearing people say, ‘That’s what we get for letting people like that into our country,'” he says.

Riffat Hassan, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of Louisville, says most of her Muslim students did not come to class Tuesday, including a woman who wears an Islamic head covering. “She was not even allowed to come out of her house,” says Hassan, who received an e-mail from the student.

“We see a very bad backlash coming,” says Abinader, “no matter who is responsible—even if it comes out that they are right-wing Americans, like Oklahoma City; still the reaction will be there.”

In the days after the 1995 attack on the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Muslims reported more than 200 incidents of harassment, threats, and violence, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (cair) in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday cair advised Muslims who wear Islamic attire to stay out of public areas “for the immediate future” and requested that authorities provide additional police patrols in the vicinity of mosques. CAIR estimates there are 7 million Muslims in the United States and 1.2 billion worldwide. The 2000 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, however, says the Muslim population in America is 5.7 million.

Abdullah lamented that he felt unwelcome in public just hours after the attack. “I went to the Red Cross to donate blood in the morning, and I could see the kind of frown on the faces of people,” he says.

Hassan says Muslims on the Louisville campus expressed fear about the days ahead. “Some people were saying Today they are in a state of shock, and tomorrow they are going to get very angry.”

What has increased the anger of many Americans are the televised images of Palestinians publicly celebrating the attacks with shouts of “God is Great.” Egyptian students, taxi drivers, and shopkeepers were among others who joined in the revelry Tuesday, according to news reports.

Abdullah says, however, that he cried in sorrow when he saw the Palestinian celebration. “How can any human being rejoice at the destruction of a fellow human being, especially in the name of religion?” he asked. “This is just obscene. I think this must be deplored with the loudest voice.”

Abinader notes, though, that some Palestinians feel the U.S. is now paying the price for its support of Israel. “We think it’s the irrational response of a people who live in an irrational environment,” he says. “They don’t understand. They see death everyday of their own people. They can’t find any satisfaction in dealing with Israel. And so this gives them the opportunity to say, It’s God’s will— what’s happening in the United States.”

The Palestinians in the streets reflected the sentiments of only a small minority, who view the U.S. in an abstract way, according to Sami Awad, executive director of Holy Land Trust in Bethlehem. “The U.S. is not seen by Palestinians here as a location where there are just normal people who work and live,” he explained. “The U.S. is perceived as the enemy. The first celebrations took place as the attack was announced, but as the reports kept coming in and we saw the extent of the damage, then there was clearly a somber feeling in the Palestinian community.”

Rateb Rabie, director of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation in Silver Springs, Maryland, a group that raises support from American churches, says that assessment matches his experience. “We are getting messages of sadness and condolences from our people in the Holy Land,” he says.

But monitors of Palestinian media point out that Muslim clerics have published fatwas, or edicts, ordering suicide bombings and declaring bombers to be martyrs. On Wednesday, Israeli Sephardi Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron called on “leaders of the Arab world who are condemning this terrible tragedy” in the U.S. to cancel the edict. “Whoever calls a suicide bomber a martyr is an accessory to the horrible crime, because that is the spiritual infrastructure for the perpetrators of these crimes,” the rabbi said in a statement.

Greg Livingstone, an adjunct professor at Fuller Seminary in California and former general director of Frontiers, an evangelical mission to Muslims, fears that Tuesday’s attacks are only the beginning. “The offense [that Muslims perceive] is so deep that I think this is going to just grow,” he says. “I think there will be a constant wave of Islamic martyrs. And it isn’t about converting us to Islam; it’s about, in their minds, justice.”

Bob Klamser of Crisis Consulting International in Ventura, California, quickly issued an advisory Tuesday morning to the global Christian community he serves. He believes the New York and Washington attacks may inspire copycats from other terrorist groups. “One of the favorite targets of terrorism has been struck a real hard blow and has been wounded, and other groups will want to exploit that situation,” he says.

Awad says he met with Christian leaders in the Bethlehem area on Wednesday to discuss the possible fallout from the attacks on the U.S. “The major fear is that the U.S. might go into a mode of isolationism and there would be less concern and interest in the Middle East, especially if it is found out that Islamic groups were behind these attacks,” he says.

Authorities in Massachusetts have identified five Arab men as suspects in the attack on New York City, the Boston Herald newspaper reported Wednesday morning. News reports Tuesday cited Pentagon officials who pointed to Osama bin Ladin, a Saudi millionaire blamed by the U.S. for the deadly 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. In 1998, a group launched by Bin Ladin called the International Islamic Front to Fight Jews and Christians issued a fatwa calling on Muslims to attack U.S. facilities.

Awad says the Bethlehem-area Christian leaders don’t have a plan of action yet in response to this week’s events. “But we want to show that the Palestinian people are very upset about what happened and regret the fact that loss of life and destruction of that scale has taken place,” he says. “And we are hoping that the American public will realize that the Palestinians do not want to hurt Americans, but it has been the policy of the United States that has caused people to react in such a way.”

U.S. groups such as the Muslim Public Affairs Council (mpac) have been criticized by Jewish organizations and others for similar statements that seem to justify Palestinian terrorism. In 1999, House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt withdrew his nomination of mpac Director Salam Al-Marayati to the National Commission on Terrorism, a congressional advisory body, after complaints from Jewish groups. Al-Marayati has said Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has caused some Palestinians to commit violence to express their suffering. He insists, however, that he has condemned terrorism “any time it has shown its ugly intent.”

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Christianity Today‘s other articles on the attacks include:

In the Belly of the Beast | Christians, calling terrorist attack “satanically brilliant,” minister at epicenter of World Trade disaster. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Churches, Agencies Respond to Attacks | Leaders call for prayer, justice, and mercy. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Muslims Fear a Backlash | No matter who is responsible, observers feel a reaction will still be present. (Sept. 12, 2001)

A Wake-Up Call to Become Global Christians | The deadly attacks on America will provoke many responses, but Christians are commanded to love our neighbors. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Nation’s Religious Leaders Urge Calm, Pray for Peace | Churches will maintain prayer vigils for victims and leaders. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Church Leaders Around World Deplore ‘Unspeakable Horror’ of Attack | Christians urged to unite in prayer as they unite in shock and denunciation. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Experts Say Spiritual Roots Will Aid in Coping With Catastrophe | Pray and connect with others, advise nation’s chaplains. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Fear and Hate | In times like this, as in all other times, Christians have a responsibility to love above all else. (Sept. 11, 2001)

God’s Message in the Language of Events | In the face of evil, we must focus on keeping our hearts right. (Sept. 11, 2001)

For in-depth and continuing coverage of the attacks, see The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN, and Yahoo full coverage.

For more Christian perspectives and responses, see various articles posted Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, and Beliefnet.com.

The BBC, Boston.com, The Village Voice, and USA Today have photo essays of yesterday’s destruction.

For video or audio coverage, see CNN, ABC News,and Sky News. The Washington Post is running a live Web cam of the Pentagon building.

The BBC has compiled reactions from world leaders (with video).

President Bush addressed the nation on Tuesday evening (video | transcript). He also released a statement Tuesday afternoon. Bush first learned of the World Trade Center tragedy while preparing to speak to schoolchildren in Sarasota, Fla.. There, he asked Amercians for a moment of silence for the victims.

Slate.com explained who responds to crisis situations like Tuesday’s.

The Pope and Billy Graham have spoke out on the tragedy and sent out prayers to the victims and their families.

An Interpol report details the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

Muslim perspectives on Jesus and Christianity are ubiquitous online. They include Al-Sunnah, Harakah, Islam 101, Answering Christianity, and WhatIsIslam.com

Christian sites discussing Muslim beliefs about Jesus and Christianity are available at Answering Islam, Campus Crusade for Christ, and FarsiNet.

Previous Christianity Today articles on Muslim-Christian relations include:

How Muslims See Christianity | Many Muslims don’t understand Christianity—especially the idea of salvation by grace through faith.

Islamic Fundamentals | Christians have a responsibility to understand our Muslim neighbors and their beliefs

Islam, U.S.A. | Are Christians prepared for Muslims in the mainstream?

Church Life

A Wake-Up Call to Become Global Christians

Miriam Adeney

“The deadly attacks on America will provoke many responses, but Christians are commanded to love our neighbors.”

Christianity Today September 1, 2001
How do we respond to the devastation of September 11, deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon? Many responses come to mind. Prayer. Care for the injured and bereft. Increased security, increased vigilance. Just punishment for the masterminds behind the carnage, if we can find them. Sharper on-the-ground intelligence-gathering. Stronger international cooperation against terrorism. Congregational immersion in Scripture stories of God’s people who lived through radical loss and destabilization, from Joseph to Daniel to John, Peter, and Paul.

Hit in the solar plexus

This disaster is a wake-up call. Since the so-called end of the Cold War, many of us have not given much thought to the rest of the world except as occasional business, tourist, or short-term mission connections. Those days are over. We’ve been hit in the solar plexus with the truth that that we are globally connected and cannot cut loose.

Businessmen already know that. In Thomas Friedman’s bestseller on globalization, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, he describes a label on a computer part that reads, “This part was made in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, China, Mexico, Germany, the U.S., Thailand, Canada, and Japan. It was made in so many different places that we cannot specify a country of origin.” Through the Internet many Americans have also tapped into a common global shopping system and global library. We are globally integrated as never before.

Yet many of us continue to live cocooned in own little circle of friends, walled off from people who are different. To think about the rest of the world overwhelms us. Masses of data pour out of the media, jumbled in sound bites that juxtapose great human tragedies with beer ads. We know Americans overseas have made mistakes. We know missionaries have. How can ordinary citizens like you and me know enough to make intelligent comments on global issues?

“Whenever I think about those people over there, I worry,” says my friend Susan. “And I know God doesn’t want me to be worried. So I’ve decided He doesn’t want me to think about them.” Another friend named Janet says that’s why she doesn’t read the newspaper anymore. The news disturbs her, and surely that isn’t the will of God.

Our ignorance has come home to haunt us

In this we reflect our society’s disconnect from the rest of the world. Consider this. Well before the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, where six people were killed and more than 1,000 injured, the FBI was in possession of some of the plans. The Agency held videotapes, manuals and notebooks on bomb making that had been seized from one of the plotters. They also had taped phone conversations in which one terrorist told another how to build the bomb.

“There was one problem: They were in Arabic. And nobody who understood Arabic listened to them until after the explosion at the Trade Center,” according to New York Times reporter Diana Schemo.

Last year all the colleges and universities in the U.S. graduated only nine students who majored in Arabic. There is a joke making the rounds:

What do you call a person who speaks three languages?
Trilingual.

What do you call a person who speaks two languages?
Bilingual.

What do you call a person who speaks one language?
American.

Now our ignorance has come to home to haunt us.

Pray through the newspaper

Of all people, Christians are to love our neighbors. When our neighborhood expands to include the globe, then we’re called to love globally. How? Some of the most important steps may be some of the simplest.

Pray through the newspaper, especially the world news section. Befriend the foreigners who live in your city. Develop strong relationships with your church or denominational missionaries.

Ask members who are businessmen to talk about their global involvements. Go to the local college and find out whether there’s a group of local “friends of international students.” Do the same with the Chamber of Commerce and foreign businessmen.

Ask your high school and college youth what they’re studying about global issues. Teach a church class on the biblical basis of mission, tracing global issues from Genesis to Revelation.

Those who want more can find hundreds of mission-related sites on the Internet. Some useful gateways include www.brigada.org, www.christianmissions.net, and www.lausanne.org.

If you want to know more about specific nations or ethnic groups, you might try some of the general search engines (AltaVista, Yahoo!, Northern Light, or Hotbot), or the Joshua Project List of People Group Profiles (www.ad2000.org/peoples/index.htm).

Mission magazines with on-line resources include Evangelical Missions Quarterly, (www.wheaton.edu/bgc/EMIS/emqpg.htm) and the International Bulletin of Missionary Research (www.gospelcom.net/omsc/ibmr.htm).

Apples, salmon, hungry bellies, and empty arms Yet we can do all this with a patronizing smile, at arms’ length. without ever leaving the security of our own turf. Loving our neighbors means something more. It means being vulnerable. It means entering into their pain. When God in Jesus came to live among us. He shared our troubles and felt our hurts. Do we feel the pain of those in other countries?

Globalization has hurt a lot of people. That includes Americans. Last weekend my husband and I drove through the apple orchards of Washington. In spite of their rows of green trees heavy with fruit beside the Columbia river, twenty per cent of those farmers are failing.

Some blame cheaper apples from Mexico and China.

Apple season coincides with salmon season, and we have not had such a glorious run of fish since the 1960s. Yet the commercial fishermen are giving the fish away, or mailing them to state legislators. They can’t make a profit. The price is too low. Some blame competition from farm-raised salmon from Chile.

The transitions and readjustments of globalization can hurt Americans. But people in other countries suspect that transnational corporations—most based in America—are reaping the lion’s share of the benefits. This breeds a love/hate feeling toward America.

Yong-Hun Jo of Korea, in the article, “Globalization as a Challenge to the Churches in Asia Today” published in the October 2000 issue of the Asian Journal of Theology, says poverty levels in Asian countries have worsened as globalization has bloomed. Although the article’s tone is moderate, and recognizes the benefits of a vigorous economy, it also speaks of bankruptcies, destruction of jobs, massive unemployment, a sharp rise in prices and decline in wages, capital flight into tax-free zones, the reduction of public services, environmental degradation, and a growing distance between the rich and the poor. At present 34% of the children under age five in Southeast Asia are under weight, and 50% of the children in South Asia. Half the people in the world live on $2 a day or less. Meanwhile, there is a “race to the bottom,” as companies vie to see who can pay workers least, offering fewest benefits. If one country does insist on safeguards for its workers, multinational capital departs for a neighboring state in a matter of hours.

Melba Maggay in Patmos: Journal of the Institute for the Study of Asian Church and Culture speaks of the cost to families when labor must follow jobs in a borderless world. Filipinos, Maggay’s compatriots, are thick on the ground as laborers , managers, and nannies in the Middle East, and as maids in Hong Kong and Singapore. Back home they may leave spouses and children, not to mention parents with whom traditionally they would have spent much time. Globalization obliterates that family closeness.

Complacent on our couches

Do we feel that pain? The prophet Amos blasted God’s people because they did not grieve for hurting people.

Woe to you who are complacent in Zion and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation … You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches, You dine on choice lambs … You improvise on musical instruments … but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph (6:1-6)

In one sense this text refers to a special case. In a broader sense, it may serve as a wake-up call for us. Do we grieve for those who hurt outside our borders?

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food,” writes the author of the Epistle of James. “If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (2:14-17).

Even if we limit the application of this text to Christians, in all 238 countries of the world today there are Christians, according to the World Christian Encyclopedia. And surely we ought to love nonChristians concretely too?

There are many macrostructural and microstructural ways to reach out to these needs, but they are beyond the scope of this essay. Evangelism remains primary. Economic programs may teach methods, but evangelism will unleash the meaning and the motivation to use those methods conscientiously.

The earth is whose?

How shall we respond to the devastation of September 11? Our government and military will need to respond at several levels. We could discuss justice and retribution and security and Israel and Palestine. If we have been cozy and complacent Christians, this tragedy also is a personal wake-up call. There’s a big, real world out there. It is not negligible. India’s population alone is larger—by 200 million—than the entire Western Hemisphere. China’s population is larger than the entire Western world—all of Europe and North America combined. We cannot indefinitely ignore the pains of other peoples without danger to ourselves—from huge hungry populations, from environmental degradation, from terrorism. For reasons of security alone we must pay attention to the world. Current levels of global inequality are unsustainable.

More important, the earth is the Lord’s. All of Scripture rings with this. God’s concern for global issues didn’t begin when Jesus said, “Go into all the world” or “You shall be my witnesses.” Thousands of years earlier, Abraham heard God call his name, saying, “I will bless you, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:2,3). David’s psalms sing out: “May God be gracious to us and bless us … that your way may be known upon earth, you saving power among all nations” (Ps.67:1-2).

Isaiah saw the people of God as a light to the nations (42:6). Habakkuk sea saw the “earth full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (2:14). Micah saw that “His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And He will be their peace” (5:4-5). Jonah, Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah, and even Naaman’s little slave girl saw God’s care for the nations. All of Scripture resonates with God’s absorbing interest in the whole earth. We cannot be healthy American Christians today and ignore the world. A global concern is not optional. It comes from the heart of God.

How shall we respond to the devastation of September 11? In his brief commentary on Revelation titled For the Healing of the Nations, Justo Gonzalez paints two alternative pictures. Glimpsing them may help us find a place to stand. First,

There is a vision according to which all peoples and nations and tribes and languages must bow before the beast and worship it. This is the vision of Nebuchadnezzar: “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that … you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up” (Dan. 3:4-5). There is a vision that takes for granted that there will always be a great harlot who sits upon many waters; and these waters are the many nations and tribes and languages and peoples who must bring their wealth to her. In a way, this is the vision of Belshazzar in the book of Daniel, who does not learn from his father’s humiliation, but is content with inheriting his power over peoples and nations. If we live by that vision, we shall be content with a world order in which many nations and tribes and peoples and cultures have no other purpose in life but to enrich those who sit upon many waters. According to that vision, the nations and peoples and tribes can and should remain subjected, for that is their place in the scheme of things. According to that vision, our task is to make sure that we, and others like us, are the ones who sit upon many waters, while the rest of the world enriches us.

But that is not the vision of John of Patmos. According to his vision, out of these many nations and tribes and peoples and languages, God will build a kingdom in which all have royal and priestly honor. According to that vision, a great multitude, from all different nations and cultures, will jointly sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.” According to that vision, our music and our worship must be multicultural, not simply because our society is multicultural, but because the future from which God is calling us is multicultural. We must be multicultural, not just so that those from other cultures may feel at home among us, but also so that we may feel at home in God’s future … because like John of Patmos, our eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; because we know and we believe that on that great waking-up morning when the stars begin to fall, when we gather at the river where angel feet have trod, we shall all, from all nations and tribes and peoples and languages, we shall all sing without ceasing: “Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee, casting down our golden crowns before the glassy sea; cherubim and seraphim; Japanese and Swahili; American and European; Cherokee and Ukrainian; falling down before thee, who wert, and art, and evermore shall be!” Amen!” (Orbis, 1999, pp.111-112).

Miriam Adeney is editor at large for Christianity Today and is Associate Professor of World Christian Studies at Seattle Pacific University.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

A ready-to-download Bible Study on this article is available at ChristianBibleStudies.com. These unique Bible studies use articles from current issues of Christianity Today to prompt thought-provoking discussions in adult Sunday school classes or small groups.

Christianity Today‘s other articles on the attacks include:

In the Belly of the Beast | Christians, calling terrorist attack “satanically brilliant,” minister at epicenter of World Trade disaster. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Churches, Agencies Respond to Attacks | Leaders call for prayer, justice, and mercy. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Muslims Fear a Backlash | No matter who is responsible, observers feel a reaction will still be present. (Sept. 12, 2001)

A Wake-Up Call to Become Global Christians | The deadly attacks on America will provoke many responses, but Christians are commanded to love our neighbors. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Nation’s Religious Leaders Urge Calm, Pray for Peace | Churches will maintain prayer vigils for victims and leaders. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Church Leaders Around World Deplore ‘Unspeakable Horror’ of Attack | Christians urged to unite in prayer as they unite in shock and denunciation. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Experts Say Spiritual Roots Will Aid in Coping With Catastrophe | Pray and connect with others, advise nation’s chaplains. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Fear and Hate | In times like this, as in all other times, Christians have a responsibility to love above all else. (Sept. 11, 2001)

God’s Message in the Language of Events | In the face of evil, we must focus on keeping our hearts right. (Sept. 11, 2001)

For in-depth and continuing coverage of the attacks, see The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN, and Yahoo full coverage.

For more Christian perspectives and responses, see various articles posted Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, and Beliefnet.com.

The BBC, Boston.com, The Village Voice, and USA Today have photo essays of yesterday’s destruction.

For video or audio coverage, see CNN, ABC News,and Sky News. The Washington Post is running a live Web cam of the Pentagon building.

The BBC has compiled reactions from world leaders (with video).

President Bush addressed the nation on Tuesday evening (video | transcript). He also released a statement Tuesday afternoon. Bush first learned of the World Trade Center tragedy while preparing to speak to schoolchildren in Sarasota, Fla.. There, he asked Amercians for a moment of silence for the victims.

Slate.com explained who responds to crisis situations like Tuesday’s.

The Pope and Billy Graham have spoke out on the tragedy and sent out prayers to the victims and their families.

An Interpol report details the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

Church Life

Christians Provide Comfort in the Shadow of Calamity

Tony Carnes

“Still stunned and reeling, New Yorkers seek support at prayer service”

Christianity Today September 1, 2001
They came just as they were: out of the dormitories in jeans and khakis, in suits and white shirts and conservative dresses from downtown, and some with ashes still flaking off their shoulders. They huddled behind the protective walls in the great quad of Columbia University and shared their stories of fleeing down the streets, calming the traumatized and waiting in line for hours to give blood.

About 150 people came to the steps of Low Library at 6 p.m. on Tuesday to hear Charles Drew of nearby Emmanuel Presbyterian Church reassure them that the Lord is in charge in the midst of the upheaval. “You should exalt Jesus while the nations rage,” Drew told them. “God is in charge, and in the end we have hope.”

Across the city, New Yorkers were drawn to prayer. Here’s Life Inner City and other ministries set up prayer stations on the streets so that fleeing refugees could stop and take a moment to gather spiritual resources. Churches like Primitive Christian Church near the World Trade Center area and Marble Collegiate a little further uptown sent people into the streets to tell people fleeing the disaster area that they could come to rest, refresh and pray. Many churches held prayer services Tuesday evening. Many more are planning them for today.

Drew says that “people were mostly stunned. I am still reeling. There are a number of people missing.”

After announcing where people could get help and give blood, the pastor divided the crowd into prayer groups. Participants shared their experiences and comforted each other. One woman from Wall Street talked about how traumatized a friend was after seeing the second plane crash into the World Trade Center tower above her head. Another prayer group comforted a recent graduate from Columbia, who nearly died when the debris from the collapsing towers came roaring toward him.

Drew urged congregation members to sustain their compassion. “Today, people here waited two or three hours to give blood,” Drew said. “Remember that we have to be concerned with what happens on Wednesday and Thursday, too. We as Christians have a special reason to give our blood for those who are fallen.”

Tony Carnes is Senior News Writer for Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Christianity Today‘s other articles on the attacks include:

Shaken Christians Turn to Prayer | Impromptu services usher in the bereaved by word of mouth, road signs, and e-mail. (Sept. 13, 2001)

Illinois Pastor on Fatal Flight | Jeffrey Mladenik, 43, was involved in workplace ministry, international adoption. (Sept. 13, 2001)

Communication Troubles Challenge U.S. Church Relief Agencies | Aid work continues amid atmosphere of shock, fear, and sporatic harrassment. (Sept. 13, 2001)

When Sin Reigns | An event like this shows us what humans are capable of becoming—both as children of darkness and of light. (Sept. 13, 2001)

Reflections on Suffering | Classic and contemporary quotations for dark times. (Sept. 13, 2001)

In the Belly of the Beast | Christians, calling terrorist attack “satanically brilliant,” minister at epicenter of World Trade disaster. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Churches, Agencies Respond to Attacks | Leaders call for prayer, justice, and mercy. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Muslims Fear a Backlash | No matter who is responsible, observers feel a reaction will still be present. (Sept. 12, 2001)

A Wake-Up Call to Become Global Christians | The deadly attacks on America will provoke many responses, but Christians are commanded to love our neighbors. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Nation’s Religious Leaders Urge Calm, Pray for Peace | Churches will maintain prayer vigils for victims and leaders. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Church Leaders Around World Deplore ‘Unspeakable Horror’ of Attack | Christians urged to unite in prayer as they unite in shock and denunciation. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Experts Say Spiritual Roots Will Aid in Coping With Catastrophe | Pray and connect with others, advise nation’s chaplains. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Fear and Hate | In times like this, as in all other times, Christians have a responsibility to love above all else. (Sept. 11, 2001)

God’s Message in the Language of Events | In the face of evil, we must focus on keeping our hearts right. (Sept. 11, 2001)

For in-depth and continuing coverage, see The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN, and Yahoo full coverage.

Yahoo has also compiled aid organization contact information, closure notification, and survivor lists.

For more Christian perspectives and responses, see various articles posted on Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, and Beliefnet.com.

The Text This Week, a resource for pastors, has collected sermons and reflections in response to the Sept. 11 events.

The BBC, Boston.com, The Village Voice, and USA Today have photo essays of the destruction.

For video or audio coverage, see CNN, ABC News,and Sky News. The Washington Post is running a live Web cam of the Pentagon building.

The BBC has compiled reactions from world leaders (with video).

President Bush addressed the nation on Tuesday evening (video | transcript). He also released a statement Tuesday afternoon. Bush first learned of the World Trade Center tragedy while preparing to speak to schoolchildren in Sarasota, Fla.. There, he asked Amercians for a moment of silence for the victims.

Slate.com explained who responds to crisis situations.

The Pope and Billy Graham have spoke out on the tragedy and sent out prayers to the victims and their families.

An Interpol report details the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

The Washington Post has a list of tenants of the World Trade Center.

The New York Blood Centers declared a blood emergency after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Will Attacks Bring Revival?

Ted Olsen

World kneels in prayer—and asks hard questions about plans of God and man

Christianity Today September 1, 2001
On day one, the world watched fireballs and smoke. The focus was on “big” things: the second-tallest buildings in America and the world’s largest office building attacked by jumbo jets. On day two, things got a lot smaller—we started to see faces and see names of those who were gone, striking our collective psyches in a completely different way. What will day three bring? What will the next year bring?

Several evangelical leaders say they sense revival in the land, reports the Associated Press. Continuing a trend of I-told-you-so prophetic voices, U.S. Prayer Center director Eddie Smith said God had told him revival was on its way, but “served … on a platter of ruin.” Pastor Dutch Sheets of Springs Harvest Fellowship in Colorado Springs tells Family News in Focus, “Absolutely, this will drive the nation to prayer. … Typically in the past, these sorts of things (were) wake-up calls.” Pat Robertson and other religious leaders are calling for Christians to pray that the tragedy would lead to revival, the AP reports.

In Colorado Springs, the World Prayer Center closed to the public following the attacks, but apparently it’s open again. World Prayer Center Pastor Wesley Tullis tells Family News in Focus the center is trying to “coordinate strategic prayer for objectives around the world. “Unless we mobilize the Church of America to be prayer-based, we’re going to continue to see ongoing challenges that aren’t met by any wisdom of government alone, or any wisdom of the military,” he says.

The World Prayer Center may be trying to coordinate the exact prayers churches are offering, but they certainly don’t need to mobilize churches to pray. Around the country and around the world, churches continue vigils. New York City churches are packed with people who are shocked, silent, and don’t know where else to go, In Chicago, interfaith services offered prayers in English, Hebrew and Arabic. In Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law told parishioners (including the governor and the mayor and the speaker of the House), “Blest are you who are weeping; for you shall laugh.” In Pittsburgh, parishioner Lois Stauff says she returned to her Catholic parish for the first time in years. “I couldn’t give blood because I’m not able to. I couldn’t go to Washington, D.C., or New York. This is the only thing I can contribute.” In Washington‘s New Bethel Baptist Church, Suzette Thomas prayed for children, saying, “While children see buildings fall, let them know that you, God, are still in control.” In Ottawa, Christ Church’s Shane Parker preached, “These evil acts are an affront to God and a violation of God’s will for all mankind.” In Europe, American expatriates attempted to unite together in prayer.

Mark Oppenheimer writes in today’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that these religious gatherings are a necessary part of crisis situations. “Our first instinct as we wait for reassurance that our friends are safe is to find other people who are also waiting. And then, when we hear the worst, we will want to mourn with others. And often, we will want to mourn in a place of faith, with people of faith.”

Though attendance at the nightly vigils may wane, some future meetings will certainly be prominent. As Weblog is writing, Bush is declaring Friday “a national day of prayers and remembrance.” Apparently as part of that, evangelist (and CT founder) Billy Graham will be preaching at a public memorial service at the National Cathedral tomorrow at noon. Meanwhile, the National Association of Evangelicals is organizing its member churches and denominations for a united National Day of Mourning and Prayer this Sunday.

(Pastors looking for help in preparing Sunday’s sermon—and anyone else interested in Christian responses to the attacks—should definitely visit textweek.com’s growing list of resources. There are links to special orders of worship, new hymns, sample sermons, official church responses, and other such items.)

But while Christians are speaking to God about the attack, they’re also speaking to one another and to the U.S. government. Several statements have already been issued and we can expect several more to come. Many calling for the U.S. government to spare innocent lives in its pursuit of justice, suggesting that a large-scale military response would be inappropriate. “Those culpable must not escape accountability,” says a statement written by Jim Wallis of Sojourners, “But we must not, out of anger and vengeance, indiscriminately retaliate in ways that bring on even more loss of innocent life.” The statement has also been signed by Evangelicals for Social Action’s Ron Sider, the National Council of Churches’ Bob Edgar, Wesley Granberg-Michaelson of the Reformed Church of America, and others, and Christianity Today is told that the document will be formally released with more names later this afternoon. (The Sojourners Web site offers a place to discuss the statement).

In a similar warning, Alan McDonald of the Church of Scotland’s church and nation committee wrote to the American ambassador of his country, “There are no words strong enough to condemn the actions of those who visited this destruction and death on the people of your country. We do not believe, however, that any retaliation which kills thousands more people will provide an answer.”

In yesterday’s Breakpoint radio commentary, Charles Colson offered his views of retailiation:

Christians believe that government has a special duty to punish those who, in effect, invaded our soil and committed these dastardly acts. But we must do so in a just manner. As Augustine’s Just War theory teaches, any military action must have a reasonable chance of success. In our context, that means being fairly certain as to the identity of the perpetrators. We can’t simply strike out for the sake of “doing something” or in a blind rage.

We need to also make sure that our targets are military ones. Civilians, even those who applaud the terrorists’ actions, should never be targeted. Finally, our response should be proportionate. After an event such as yesterday’s, we are understandably tempted to lash out with every weapon in our arsenal. But we must be careful not to let our response to the harm we have suffered lead us to commit an even greater harm—something that our technological superiority makes possible.

Beyond the question of how the government should respond is how individual Christians should respond in their hearts. Can terrorism be forgiven? asks Julia Duin in today’s Washington Times. It’s not an easy question to answer.

Meanwhile, names of victims and stories of survivors continue to be disseminated. Evangelical pastor and TV technician Isaias Rivera is among the missing, Archbishop of Wales Rowan Williams was trapped in a church only 200 meters from the World Trade Center but survived, Mychal Judge, chaplain with the New York City Fire Department, died giving a man last rites. Today, Episcopal minister Lloyd Prater shares with Beliefnet his stories of ministering to victims.

Yes, there actually are other important religion news stories happening this week. Some very important stories, actually. Weblog will get to them tomorrow.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

See our past Weblog updates:

September 12 | 10

September 7 | 6 | 5 | 4

August 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27

August 24 | 23 | 22 | 20

August 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 |13

August 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6

August 3 | 2 | 1 July 31 | 30

July 27 | 25 | 24 | 23

July 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16

Church Life

Shaken Christians Turn to Prayer

LaTonya Taylor

“Impromptu services usher in the bereaved by word of mouth, road signs, and e-mail”

Christianity Today September 1, 2001
“It could have easily been my airplane,” says Scott McClain, an American Airlines pilot from West Chicago, Illinois.

Two of the hijacked planes were American Airlines flights.

Like Christians across the United States, McClain and other believers participated in impromptu prayer services in America’s heartland and tried to make sense of the September 11 disaster.

Staff at Wheaton Bible Church in Wheaton, Illinois, held a prayer service within hours of the attacks. Learning about the service through e-mails, word of mouth, and a sign posted along the road, about 150 people attended the 6 p.m. gathering.

There, pastor Rob Bugh read Psalm 46, which begins “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

“The point of the psalm is that when everything is unraveling, we can be certain we have comfort in God,” Bugh said. “We want to say, ‘Yes, God, we know you are in control. Yes, God, we want to affirm that.'”

Worshipers read passages and prayed at microphones in the front of the large sanctuary before Bugh led a prayer for government, emergency personnel, and the injured and bereaved.

John Gration, a church member, said that his family waited three hours before learning that Gration’s son, Scott, an Air Force brigadier general who works in the Pentagon, was unharmed.

“God, we live in Disneyland,” Margit Amstutz prayed softly. “We have our comfortable homes and our fat tummies, and we don’t seek you with our whole hearts. We let immorality seep in among us. We don’t honor and worship with all our hearts. We compromised the gospel, and we compromised holiness, and now our nation has paid a price for having left you, Lord.”

“Our prayer focus is that this would create a hunger for more people to know God,” Bugh says. “Something like this is very unsettling for people. For better or worse, we attend to the visual—so it creates a great deal of unease when something happens to some of our visual symbols.”

At a prayer service at College Church in Wheaton on Wednesday evening, senior pastor Kent Hughes emphasized that dependence on God was all parishioners could cling to in the face of such tragedy. “We have to understand we have a sovereign God who is in control of all things,” he said.

During the hour-long service, adults, children, and teenagers went to posted microphones to pray for renewed passion for God, strength to model a peaceful attitude before children and that Christians would use the opportunity to bring seekers to Christ.

Hughes said several church members were directly and indirectly affected by the attacks. Two graduates of nearby Wheaton College were on planes or working in the World Trade Center, and Hughes recognized the name of a young man he had known in a previous pastoral position who was lost. The church also prayed for the family of Jeff Mladenik, an associate pastor at the nearby Christ Church of Oak Brook, who perished in the first World Trade Center crash.

Pastor of outreach Niel Nielson encouraged prayer for the perpetrators as well.

“Father, it is good and proper for us to cry out for justice, and we do,” he said. “Father, we know the hope of the world does not lie in the destruction of Osama bin Laden, but it lies in hearts changed and made new through Christ.”

Nielson also encouraged members to pray for the protection of innocent ethnic Arabs, some of whom have received threats.

After the service, a small group prayed with a Wheaton College student whose brother-in-law was on one of the hijacked planes.

“Lord, we know that such an occasion is one in which each of us draws closer to you or pushes away. Let us have the discernment to draw closer to you,” prayed Wayne Martindale, an elder and a professor at Wheaton College. “I pray that you would make us quick to respond to the needs of others, that they would turn to you.”

Pilot McClain says the disaster is a wake-up call for self-reliant Christians.

“In this profession, it’s a good trait to have—self-reliance, self-dependence,” he says. “It’s why they choose us. But it’s difficult to balance with dependence on God.”

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

See the Web sites for Wheaton Bible Church, Wheaton College, College Church in Wheaton.

Christianity Today‘s other articles on the attacks include:

Christians Provide Comfort in the Shadow of Calamity | Still “stunned and reeling,” New Yorkers seek support at prayer service. (Sept. 13, 2001)

Illinois Pastor on Fatal Flight | Jeffrey Mladenik, 43, was involved in workplace ministry, international adoption. (Sept. 13, 2001)

Communication Troubles Challenge U.S. Church Relief Agencies | Aid work continues amid atmosphere of shock, fear, and sporatic harrassment. (Sept. 13, 2001)

When Sin Reigns | An event like this shows us what humans are capable of becoming—both as children of darkness and of light. (Sept. 13, 2001)

Reflections on Suffering | Classic and contemporary quotations for dark times. (Sept. 13, 2001)

In the Belly of the Beast | Christians, calling terrorist attack “satanically brilliant,” minister at epicenter of World Trade disaster. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Churches, Agencies Respond to Attacks | Leaders call for prayer, justice, and mercy. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Muslims Fear a Backlash | No matter who is responsible, observers feel a reaction will still be present. (Sept. 12, 2001)

A Wake-Up Call to Become Global Christians | The deadly attacks on America will provoke many responses, but Christians are commanded to love our neighbors. (Sept. 12, 2001)

Nation’s Religious Leaders Urge Calm, Pray for Peace | Churches will maintain prayer vigils for victims and leaders. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Church Leaders Around World Deplore ‘Unspeakable Horror’ of Attack | Christians urged to unite in prayer as they unite in shock and denunciation. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Experts Say Spiritual Roots Will Aid in Coping With Catastrophe | Pray and connect with others, advise nation’s chaplains. (Sept. 11, 2001)

Fear and Hate | In times like this, as in all other times, Christians have a responsibility to love above all else. (Sept. 11, 2001)

God’s Message in the Language of Events | In the face of evil, we must focus on keeping our hearts right. (Sept. 11, 2001)

For in-depth and continuing coverage, see The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN, and Yahoo full coverage.

Yahoo has also compiled aid organization contact information, closure notification, and survivor lists.

For more Christian perspectives and responses, see various articles posted on Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, and Beliefnet.com.

The Text This Week, a resource for pastors, has collected sermons and reflections in response to the Sept. 11 events.

The BBC, Boston.com, The Village Voice, and USA Today have photo essays of the destruction.

For video or audio coverage, see CNN, ABC News,and Sky News. The Washington Post is running a live Web cam of the Pentagon building.

The BBC has compiled reactions from world leaders (with video).

President Bush addressed the nation on Tuesday evening (video | transcript). He also released a statement Tuesday afternoon. Bush first learned of the World Trade Center tragedy while preparing to speak to schoolchildren in Sarasota, Fla.. There, he asked Amercians for a moment of silence for the victims.

Slate.com explained who responds to crisis situations.

The Pope and Billy Graham have spoke out on the tragedy and sent out prayers to the victims and their families.

An Interpol report details the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

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