Quickly, I call my parents to make sure they are up and watching the news. Then my son calls me to say, turn on the TV, quick! Everyone wants to make sure his or her family is watching the horror unfolding on the television screen.
It has been a long week of endless news. I move from being totally numb to being teary eyed at every new announcement on the television to doing some hard thinking about what this terrorist attack really means to American citizens. Since I live in my state's capitol city, I am wondering if we might be the next target. Admitting that I am scared doesn't fully express my feelings. My country has been attacked. Thousands are believed dead. This is no longer just a distant possibility. It's a hard, cold, brutal reality. What's more, indications are that we will be attacked again!
How do I cope through this unspeakable horror? I immediately turn to my faith and search scriptures for answers to this terrible event. I also join with fellow Christians to pray for those just killed, the rescue workers, and our government. Strange, isn't it? A nation that continuously tries to keep God at arm's length and bans prayer at most public gatherings immediately begins to PRAY! The Bible says to "love our enemy and pray for those who persecute you." It's hard, but this is God's command. It's almost unthinkable that we should pray for the people who ordered these hijackings. Christians either have to follow God's instructions or quit saying we are Christians. We will have to speak boldly about our faith in the midst of turmoil and an angry nation. Little did I know that God had an even greater challenge ahead for my church and me? Read the next paragraph to learn what HE is asking me to do.
My associate pastor and I had an appointment (scheduled 2 weeks ago) to meet with our area refugee services to learn how our skills in teaching English as a second language could be useful. We walked in not knowing what they would ask us to do. The gentleman who talked with us said their most urgent need was for our church to help tutor Afghanistan women who will soon arrive as refugees from their own land. My personal immediate reaction was to say NO. I can't help someone who might be conspiring against my own government!
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