September 11—a tragic reminder
11 September 2002
It’s a time of soul-searching in America. The first anniversary of September
11 is a sobering reminder:
- A reminder of sin.
- A reminder that it’s a groaning world (Romans
8:19–23).
- A reminder that death is universal.
- A reminder that this nation needs God.
Most people can see these things, but they still can’t explain why God would
allow such suffering and death. Sadly, those who teach that the world is millions
of years old don’t have real answers, either. By believing in millions
of years, they have made death a permanent part of this world.
The statistics seem to reinforce this pessimistic view. Over 3,000 people
are presumed dead as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11. On that
same day—and each day thereafter, the world has seen
- 126,000 children killed by abortion (3,600 die daily in the US alone).
- 24,000 people die of hunger.
- 6,020 children die of diarrheal disease.
Furthermore, in just six years, the world has watched
- about 52 million people die of preventable hunger.
- approximately 25,000 people die from acts of terrorism.
These statistics aren’t meant to downplay the significance of September11.
They’re just further reminders of the personal suffering that families endure
quietly each day, in every corner of the Earth. Everyone eventually comes face-to-face
with his or her mortality.
Fortunately, the Book of Genesis has answers for suffering—real answers. All
these grim statistics make sense if you accept the Bible’s‘ history
of human sorrow’, which begins with Adam’s Fall in Genesis, and ends
with God’s Final Judgment in Revelation. To Christian believers, September
11 is a stark reminder that the world was once perfect, but Adam’s rebellion
introduced an ‘enemy’ into creation—death (1Corinthians
15:26).
The Bible does more than explain death and suffering; it also gives us hope. We
posted a commentary on the day of the terrorist attacks to explain this hope (see
Terrorists and death). If we believe in the Bible’s
account of a perfect creation and a sinless Savior, then we can see September 11
as an encouragingreminder:
- A reminder that God is sovereign—He allows tragedies to awaken us.
-
A reminder of our own personal need for salvation.
- A reminder of Christ’s love in coming to die for us.
- A reminder that the One who conquered death has ultimate power to save us.
So the story is not all grim. God is in control, and He can use suffering to accomplish
good. Since September 11, stories of heroism and faith have trickled out. Many thousands
of Christians have dedicated themselves to spreading the Gospel with renewed zeal,
and many people have turned to God for salvation. In an interview, a New York police
officer named Ralph DiCosimo gave a moving testimony of how his knowledge of the
Bible’s history enabled him to succor searching souls.
We join many others who are praying that God will bring much good outof the tragic
events of September 11, especially as Christians use this opportunity to spread
the hope of the Gospel, grounded on the true history of God’s Word. We have
heard about many opportunities that believers anticipate to have during commemoration
ceremonies, such as Ed Adkins,a chaplain in New York, who recently wrote to us,
‘I am one of the workers being recalled to Ground Zero for the anniversary
ceremony on Wednesday. If opportunities arise, I am prepared with a message of hope.
Please pray for me on Wednesday as I am expecting a long, emotional day.’
September 11 is a solemn reminder about our need to pray for one another in our
efforts to give real answers to a troubled nation. We pray that Christians
will continue to share the truth about whythere is pain and suffering and
death—and how sinners can find hope in the midst of a suffering world.
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