It seems like wherever I look everybody everywhere is making reference to 9/11 this week. Its understandable. The events that occurred on that fateful day 10 years ago became the defining moment for the next decade and beyond. Scarcely a day goes by that we do not hear the phrase "nine-eleven" or are confronted with a consequence of it in the form of airport security, news about Al-Qaeda, or updates on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
With the approaching tenth anniversary of the attack I admit that I was initially inclined to remain quiet on the subject. To some degree I feel too much has already been made of this. I clearly remember the days leading up to the one-year anniversary. The local Clergy Association, of which I was a member, had decided to downplay the event. They did not feel we should memorialize the actions of terrorists and make it into some kind of National holiday. Yet that is exactly what has been done.
Well, no matter. For whatever reason I have found myself reflecting on 9/11 and its effect on my life. The terrorists attacks that forever changed the Manhattan skyline and shocked the world have undeniably molded me and all who have the image of the World Trade Center's destruction branded upon their mind. So, allow me to offer some observations in this post-9/11 age. Below are a few ways in which I feel I have changed as a result of that tragic day in history.
1. A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF MY "PATRIOTISM".
I consider myself to be patriotic. I love my country and I want the very best for it. I pride myself to be an American and I never take this privilege for granted. I have absolutely no desire to live anywhere else. Having said all that, I know that I am an American by happenstance. I was born in this country and I have neither the opportunity nor the knowledge of how to move into another country. So here I am, not that I am complaining.
September 11, 2001 has helped me appreciate the United States and perhaps more importantly the Constitution in a deeper way. The rights and freedoms guaranteed within the Constitution are powerful. I am no expert on such matters but I cannot imagine any other document in the history of mankind (no, I am not including the Bible in this comparison, as it is the Word of God and not of man) that exceeds the Constitution of the United States in wisdom, dignity, value or purpose. This is a timeless treasure. It is what makes our country great.
However, I have an even greater sense of belonging and identity. I am a Christian and I am one by choice. I wasn't born a Christian. No one made me become one. It was a choice I made because I wanted to. And no matter where I live, no matter what governmental rules I live under, no matter what uniform is worn by the soldiers that "defend" me, regardless of the rights I enjoy or are denied, I am and shall remain a Christian. It is my first and primary identity. All else comes after this. Thus, my sense of patriotism is qualified by an understanding that I am in reality a citizen of heaven and not of earth. While I respect the Constitution and accept the freedoms defined therein, if it were all to disappear in a moment I will be equally content. This is because I fully embrace the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:38-39.
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (-New International Version)
In this I find courage to live for Jesus every day; to declare myself to be a Christian first and an American second; to grow in confidence that true patriotism means wanting the very best for one's country even if it means taking a stance against government decisions and popular issues that, in the end, are detrimental to the common good.
2. A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO THE CAUSE OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION.
By their actions the terrorists responsible for 9/11 have discredited their cause. They proved themselves to be evil when they chose to massacre innocent, civilian victims. Interestingly, their actions have not given birth to a spirit of revenge within me. For if I choose the path of violence in retaliation how am I any better than they?
No, for me, such actions have instead strengthened my resolve to promote the cause of peace and to commit myself to paths of reconciliation. We must build better modes of communication and understanding with the Muslim community worldwide. We must accept the fact that even as there are violent and misguided individuals who promote destruction in the name of Christ, so too are there similar rogue elements who act recklessly in the name of Allah. There is little difference between the 9/11 terrorists and the so-called Christians who have bombed abortion clinics and murdered doctors. The scope may be different, but the principle is the same. Destruction of property and the taking of human life - particularly in the name of religion - is never justified. If it is wrong to kill 3,000 people in one attack, it is wrong to kill 3. Jesus is clear on this point. Read such passages as Matthew 5:1-12, 21-22, 38-48; 7:15-2018:21-22; 22:37-40; Mark 8:34-38, 9:33-37, 10:41-45; Luke 19:41; John 18:36. Such verses are only a sample of the teachings of Jesus and are supported by other passages in the New Testament as well.
The only answer to overcoming violence and hatred is an uncompromising commitment to peace and love.
3. IDENTIFYING THE REAL TRAGEDY.
The real tragedy of September 11, 2001 was not the events of that day but the American response to it. I am speaking of the shameful wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the case of Iraq I still can't believe that Congress and the American people were so blind as to believe the Bush Administration's blatant lies that led to the tragedy known as "Shock and Awe". Remember the claims about weapons of mass destruction (WMD, for short)? We were told that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling a mass arsenal of biological bombs that he was going to unleash upon the United States. This was given as the justification for the war. Of course, we found out once we invaded the country that there were no such weapons. For a while the Bush Administration insisted the weapons were hidden. Then we were told they were smuggled out of the country. In the end, however, the truth was undeniable. The weapons never existed. In fact, Iraq wasn't even close to building anything that remotely resembled a threat to us.
This is a significant detail that cannot be overlooked. Prior to the War in Iraq the United States declared war only in response to a direct attack at the hands of another nation. A possible exception may be found in the Mexican-American War of 1846 - 1848. In that instance Mexican troops fired the first shots but it could be argued that President James Polk provoked them into doing so by his annexation of Texas, including disputed territories to which Mexico still claimed sovereignty, and his pompous policy of Manifest Destiny which still influences American foreign policy to this day. Still, however one views the foreign policies of Polk in the mid-19th Century it is clear that the Administration of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney took American intervention to a new and disgraceful level. Who can forget the imposing images night after night of the "Shock and Awe" approach to annihilating Bagdad without provocation? Saddam Hussein was not a nice guy by any stretch of the imagination, yet the truth remains that neither he nor Iraq had done anything to merit such an invasion of that magnitude. Who were the barbarians? Who were the aggressors? As painful as it is to admit, we were. And now, ten years later, we still have troops there and continue to engage in warfare. The obvious question is: "Why?"
To this date no one has made a clear connection between 9/11 and Iraq. So why not end this fiasco?
Afghanistan is a bit of a different story but, in my opinion, comes to the same conclusion. This conflict began as a united effort between the United States, Great Britain, and the so-called Northern Alliance of Afghanistan. As I recall, its purpose was to overthrow the Taliban and dismantled the terrorist activities centered within that country. In that regard the effort has succeeded. The Taliban was long ago toppled from power. Terrorists within Afghanistan have certainly suffered great losses, including the death of their primary leader, Osama Bin Laden. Yet we continue to invest roughly $6.7 billion per month (or $80.4 billion per year) into this war effort. Perhaps the most tragic part of this is the government that replaced the Taliban is not a whole lot better than its predecessor. President Hamid Karzai's regime is filled with corruption and deceit. According to Transparency International the Karzai government ranks as the third most corrupt country in the world.
This begs the question of why we are supporting such a regime at the cost of over $80 billion a year, and having already accomplished our stated goals.
4. HAVE WE WON THE BATTLE BUT LOST THE WAR?
I find it interesting, if nothing else, that there appeared to have been two primary targets in the terrorists attacks of 9/11. The first, of course, was the World Trade Center which could be considered the symbol of economic power. The second was the Pentagon, our symbol of military might. Though both attacks were carried through as intended, the first one was far more extensive and tragic.
In response the United States took an aggressive, military approach. In spite of the cost in dollars and in lives one could argue that we were successful. Clearly our world appears to be safer now than it was 8, 9, or 10 years ago.
But what about the economic side of the issue? Two Titan-sized towers in New York weren't the only thing that took a fall since the attacks. Look at what happened to our economy.
· Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc filed bankruptcy in 2008, the fourth largest bankruptcy ever. This was just one of many financial companies that have failed since 9/11.
· Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae highlighted the home mortgage crisis, which still haunts us.
· Wall Street has been volatile and steadily declining.
· Huge corporations are routinely failing yet mergers and takeovers continue while anti-trust laws seemingly are ignored.
· Unemployment is stuck around 9% nationally in spite of everyone's effort to turn the tide.
· Budget deficits are finally being looked at as school districts, local municipalities, States, and the Federal Government all stagger on the high wire of default.
· The United States Government has its credit rating lowered in what may be the clearest signal to date that we are losing the economic war.
· What seems to be an increase of natural disasters, both in frequency and intensity, has led to an unprecedented need for material and financial aid domestically and internationally, at a time when we can hardly afford it.
· The European Union is straining to remain intact amidst its own financial crisis. Specifically, Greece, Iceland, Portugal and Spain are near the point of financial failure.
· The "Arab Spring" as resulted in a restructuring of the Arab world in a magnitude that no one could possibly have imagined a year ago. Tunisia, Bahrain, Egypt, Syria, and Libya have either fallen or are on the brink of doing so. All of these have succumbed to forces within their own borders, making it even more astounding.
The list just goes on and on. I have only touched on a sample of the woes currently staring us in the face.
I am by no means a prophet of doom. Such imposters really turn me off. Yet I remember reading the 18th chapter of the Book of Revelation in the aftermath of 9/11 and wondering: Are the references here to "Babylon the Great" and the economic collapse described in such detail in any way connected to what we witnessed on that day?
At the time I dismissed it as fanaticism. In the past five years or so, as our economy continued to deteriorate I confess that I revisited this passage many times over. And I find myself asking the same question repeatedly: Is Revelation 18 relevant for us today? For those without a Bible handy let me quote just a small portion from that chapter.
"Fallen! Fallen! Is Babylon the Great!.... For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." (Revelation 18:2-3)
"Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come! The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more." (Revelation 18:10b - 11)
Who or what is "Babylon"? Ancient Rome? New York City? Washington D.C.? The United States? The Western World? The Arab World? Some future power yet to be disclosed?
For the record I still believe that the entire book of Revelation has a far deeper purpose and message than the events of September 11, 2001. The passages quoted above must be studied in the context of the entire book. It is also worth noting that this is Apocalyptic literature and not prophecy. I will even go so far as to say that pop eschatology is more fragile than the U. S. economy!
Nevertheless, I remain intrigued by what appears to be a playing out of these words in modern events. The fact that ancient Babylon was located in modern Iraq, about 55 miles south of Bagdad, is just a coincidence. Or is it?
CONCLUSION.
I do not have answers to the many questions that confront us. Perhaps you do. If so I would like to hear your thoughts. I can tell you this, however. The attacks that occurred ten years ago have indeed changed us and our world. For me, it strengthened my faith in the Sovereignty of God. It helped me define my life as a citizen of Heaven even while I journey as an alien on earth. God's love and his grace have become more real to me than ever before. And the victory of his Son Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord, gives me a peace I long to share with the world.
That is worth celebrating, after all!
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