It is hard to believe that 21 years have passed since that fateful morning of September 11, 2001. During those 21 years the march of history has radically changed our nation and our world. Tragically, the horror of that day has been culturally tempered. Images that once captured the very psyche of our nation have been curated to become part of the fabric of history. However, the true messages of that day can never be stilled by the passage of time or the coming of age of a generation that had yet to be born on that September day. Without question, 9-11 laid bare the capacity for evil that resides within the human psyche. Yet, the day also brought about an amazing revelation. As people were under attack, the socially constructed barriers that separate us ceased to exist. First responders, and common citizens alike never decided who should be led to safety based on race, age, gender, religion, or ethnicity. Everyone joined in true human community. In the face of tragedy, the things that divide us became markedly irrelevant. As Christians we affirm that God is not the author of evil. It was God’s hand that led us to discard our divisions to join hands in acts of compassion, mercy, and hope. In truth, we can all have differing views. Differences celebrate the beautiful mosaic of human community. Divisiveness and division are choices that remain contrary to the very message of the Gospel. Now, that is genuinely Good News. Blessings, Pastor Tom 1 Corinthians 12: 12-13 You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive. Comments are closed.
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October 2022
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