Really? Is It That Simple?

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was going through my normal routine of getting the kids and myself ready for the day. Passing by the T.V., I saw a burning building and thought they were showing some old clips from a building that caught on fire in downtown Ft. Worth. I walked the kids to school and when I got in my truck and turned on the radio I was floored at what I heard. A plane was piloted into one of the World Trade towers. Just a few blocks away from Southwestern I heard another plane was piloted into the other tower. At that point I knew the first one was no mistake. When I walked into the World Missions Center one of my coworkers walked up to me in tears and said it was terrible that one of the buildings had come down. “There were real live people in that building!” is what she exclaimed. I gave her a hug and others came around and we discussed what had just happened. Moments flew by and it was already time for Chapel. At Chapel, we all gathered into small prayer groups and I can remember what my prayer was, “God, please don’t let our anger from what has happened turn to hatred. Help us grow closer to You. Let us truly show more of Your love during this time.”

Sunday we sat in church listening to the sermon. My pastor that I served under was a strong believer in God’s sovereignty. His sermon was to answer the question, “Where was God when those planes flew into those buildings?” As I was following along with my pastor, he finally answered his question, “You are wondering where God was when those planes flew into those buildings? I tell you He was in the cockpit!” When I heard that I was in such a shock that I said, “Oh my” loud enough to where a few people turned their heads to find out who said that. I embarrassingly scooted down further in the pew. A week and a half later, our Wednesday night See You At The Pole Rally had a guest speaker. He asked what did God have to do with 9-11? His answer was “nothing.” “God had no part in those planes being flown into those buildings, the Pentagon, or that field in Pennsylvania. From either causing it or allowing it, God had nothing to do with it.”

Since that time I have often wondered about how much God was involved with 9/11. I have concluded that how much God was involved was God’s business and it was His righteous judgment to do whatever He purposed to do. But I am also certain of one thing that I heard from another person. God’s hand of protection on this country, that He has graced since her founding, was removed that day. After many years of America shacking her fist at God, He decided to let go and let us have our way.

For a couple of months after the tragedy, churches gained in attendance, but the gain was lost after six months. I believe the church was trying to answer the question of why as if to defend God. How could God have allowed this to happen? One wonders if the church, while debating the role God played in this whole thing, missed an opportunity. I remember that one person wrote, “I guess people realized why they stopped coming in the first place.”

I have come under the conviction that the world is going to do what the world wants to do. While the church is to love the world with righteousness, truth, and grace so as to be the shining city on the hill, the world will ultimately reject God, His Word, and His Son. Yes, people will be saved, but the world will still be in wholesale rejection of God. Maybe this point plays off of Tim Rogers post, but I also wonder if the church failed after 9/11? Are we still failing and how?

I hear from so many people what the answer is for today’s church. Yet, I wonder if it is as complicated as some make it out to be? I wonder if it is really simple? Now, please don’t laugh or think I am being too naïve when I say this, but could it be as simple as, “ LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” Yes, I know it is silly of me to reduce the answer of all our problems to two simple commands, but should the focus of the GCR Task Force be to help our local churches refocus anew on these two simple commands? Should we first love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength before we worry about so called bloated bureaucracies? Should we not seek to first come close to Christ so that our hearts and minds are transformed by the renewing of His Word and Spirit? Only through a transformational encounter with the Holy Spirit and His Word that results in further obedience are we able to truly love our neighbor in such a way that we glorify Christ. He will draw others, if we lift him through proclamation and obedience.

I have read the stats, the theories, and methodologies. Yet, I hold to being a light post of love (God generated and neighbor illuminated) that is kept ever bright by His Word. Maybe our resurgence isn’t so much of a revitalization of the Great Commission as it is a rebirth of love that is expressed in obedience to Christ and compassion for others. Eight years after that tragic day my prayer is still the same, “Lord, Help us grow closer to You. Let us truly show more of Your love during this time.”