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Preached on 09-14-01

MAKING SENSE OF A TRAGEDY

In commemoration of those who died Sept 11, 2001
An Address by the Rev. Patrick A. Rose

ON TUESDAY MORNING, countless people, innocent people, men, women, children, lost their lives to acts of unspeakable violence. Just ordinary citizens, going peacefully about their lives, they were murdered suddenly, violently, without mercy.

Millions upon millions of people, not only throughout this country, but throughout the world, are feeling shaken, depressed, outraged, horrified, helpless. A whole gamut of emotions flood the heart in response to such horrendous terrorism.

What can we do? How can we help? And how can we deal with and make sense of those terrible images, on TV, in newspapers, and on the Internet?

In a sense we have found ourselves being forced to confront the face of hell itself. And when we see hell for what it really is, when we see the horror of hell, we are deeply disturbed. What kind of person would violently, mercilessly, snuff out so many innocent lives? This is the work of hell, the work of hatred, moving men to act from cruelty and with no regard for human life.

You know what is the greatest horror of all? It is the realization that forces like this, the forces of hell, are active within our own hearts and minds. The Writings are very clear on this point. We read in Divine Providence:

The trouble with hell is that it works within and amongst people in secret ways. People don't realize that when they say words to hurt another person, or when they act selfishly against others in any way, that this is hell. We are completely unaware of how cruel things would become if people were not legally constrained from hurting one another. And this is why, the Writings say, the Lord has to allow evil to break forth into action at times, so it can be seen for what it really is. This is why there are fights or wars between individual people, and why there are also conflicts and wars between nations. Whereas individual conflicts can be restrained by law, international conflicts will often ignore the restraints of international law and so involve untempered and large-scale violence. And when this happens, when one country attacks another, we can see for ourselves what hell is really like.

What happened on Tuesday was such a picture of hell. It was large-scale violence. It was horrible; it was numbing; it was sickening. And that is the nature of hell. And the only reason the Lord allows such terrible things to occur is so that people can come to see the true nature of evil and of hatred, and shun it -- run away from it -- and turn instead towards what is good and kind. And when this happens, when people come to sense the true horror of evil, we come to witness, amongst the destruction, amongst the ashes, the miracle of human kindness.

Time and time again our political leaders have spoken of how these acts will not defeat us, and how, with our strength of spirit, we will overcome.

In a sense, though, it could be said that we have already overcome. The attack was an act of evil. But the response shows that the Lord's angels are very close to so many people here on earth, warming their hearts so that they reach out to those in need. At this time, countless people throughout this land, and indeed throughout the world, are asking what they can do to help. We see this in the Cincinnati area . . . medical professionals volunteering their help have been told that they already have more volunteers than they need. People seeking to donate blood are being asked to make appointments, since the centers are so swamped with volunteers. School kids are collecting Gatorade and other refreshments to send to the rescue workers. And it is the same throughout the nation, and throughout the world. Firefighters in Europe laid wreathes to commemorate their fallen comrades in New York City. Today in London, outside the American Embassy, during three minutes of silence, tears ran down the cheeks of many English faces. This is an outpouring of love and concern and compassion. And though such states may not be permanent, they show us all that kindness and gentleness and generosity and love are more powerful than and can defeat the forces of destruction and terror.

Love has defeated evil in another way as well. The Lord's love, powerful beyond imagination, performed many, many miracles, on Tuesday morning. What is so sad is how many lives were destroyed in these events. But the human spirit itself cannot be destroyed. In each case, where a human body was destroyed, the Lord reached down and miraculously held the spirit of that person, the spirit of that man, that woman or that child, in His hands, and gently lifted that spirit up into the spiritual world, where it was safe from horror and pain and physical terror. There are of course many, many people who are now left behind in this world to grieve. Family members and friends of those who are gone are right now enduring terrible emotional agony. But those who have left this world, those who seemingly perished, are now safe, and are starting a new life in a new world. In His infinite wisdom the Lord has provided that for each of these people eternal uses will result from their entrance into the spiritual world at this time. As many of these people become angels, we can well imagine that many of them will be working in different ways to bring great love and understanding to the peoples of this troubled world.

Despite the tragedy, despite the pain felt by so many, we can take comfort in the wisdom of the Lord. These acts of terrorism will likely lead to many consequences in the months ahead. But one consequence has already occurred. People have drawn closer to their God, and He has inspired them to reach out to one another with compassion and with kindness and with love. Heaven has drawn closer to the earth.

Amen.

Lessons:Psa. 91:1-11; Luke 12:4-7; John 16:31-33; Rev. 7:14-17; DP 251:1-2,6.

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, in this time of trouble and pain and grief we lift up our thoughts to you and place our hearts and our lives in your everlasting arms. We ask you to comfort the many, many people who are at this time suffering unspeakable grief. Uphold them as they shed their tears of sadness, tears of bitterness. Give them strength in the months ahead as they work through all the pain and all the suffering. Help them to hold fast to the truth that from You alone comes all peace and all healing.

Lord Jesus Christ, we ask your blessing upon our President, and upon all those charged with the safety and security of this great nation. Give them the wisdom, the strength and the courage to do whatever is necessary to safeguard us all.

Lord Jesus Christ, we ask your blessing upon all the many people who live within these United States, people who have grown closer in the face of such awful tragedy. Help us all to lend strength and comfort to one another as we face together whatever lies ahead.

And, Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for all humankind. You hold this world in your hands, watching over every single one of the billions of people who call this planet their home. May your kingdom draw closer to this earth, and may you bless this troubled world with the power and the warmth of Your everlasting love.

Amen.

Lessons for Special Memorial in Commemoration of

those who died Sept 11, 2001

We read from the Lord's Word as it is written in portions of the 91st Psalm, the 12th chapter of Luke, the 16th chapter of John, the 7th chapter of the Book of Revelation, and number 251 of the work, Divine Providence.


Psa. 91:1-11He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Luke 12:4-7 4"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!


6"Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.


John 16:31-33 31Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? 32Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."


Rev. 7:14-17 14 . . . So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to £living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

 

DP 251. 3. The worshipper of himself and of nature confirms himself against the Divine Providence when he reflects that wars are permitted and in them the slaughter of so many men, and the plundering of their wealth. It is not from the Divine Providence that wars occur, because they involve murders, plunderings, violence, cruelties and other terrible evils which are diametrically opposed to Christian charity. Still they cannot but be permitted because, since the time of the most ancient people, meant by Adam and his wife, treated of above (n. 241), men's life's love has become such that it wills to rule over others, and finally over all; and also to possess the wealth of the world, and finally all wealth. These two loves cannot be kept in fetters, for it is according to the Divine Providence that everyone is allowed to act from freedom in accordance with reason, as may be seen above (n. 71-99); and without permissions man cannot be led from evil by the Lord, and consequently cannot be reformed and saved. For unless evils were allowed to break out, man would not see them and therefore would not acknowledge them, and thus could not be induced to resist them. Hence it is that evils cannot be repressed by any act of Providence; for if they were they would remain shut in, and like a disease, such as cancer and gangrene, they would spread and consume everything vital in man.

[2] For man from birth is like a little hell, between which and heaven there is perpetual discord. No man can be withdrawn from his hell by the Lord unless he sees that he is in hell and wishes to be led out; and this cannot be done without permissions, the causes of which are laws of the Divine Providence. This is why there are lesser and greater wars, the lesser between owners of estates and their neighbours, and the greater between the sovereigns of kingdoms and their neighbours. The lesser and the greater differ only in this, that the lesser are kept within certain bounds by national law, and the greater by international law; and that, while both the lesser and the greater are willing to transgress their own laws, the lesser cannot, and the greater can, yet still within the limits of possibility.

[6] It may be seen above (n. 217), that the Divine Providence, which is called fortune, operates in the most individual of even trivial affairs, and if you acknowledge the Divine Providence in these you will certainly acknowledge it in the affairs of war.


© 2001Address and Prayer by the Rev. Patrick A. Rose