My heart and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones these last couple of days.  It has certainly been a time of mourning.

This has certainly been a tragic time...so many presumed dead in such a short amount of time. We can sort of understand when floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, plane crashes, etc., bring about devastation, but this...we have been so sheltered in our country for so long. We've not had to deal with wars on our shores as other countries deal with it on a sometimes daily basis. And we've had an occasional terrorist's threat, but most of the time, their plans are thwarted. But now we ask, what has happened. How could this happen here? Who is to blame? One official stated: "Our luck has run out!" Our hearts are filled with terror.

Well, I want to state that I don't believe any one person or government agency in America can be blamed for what has happened. We've been blessed for so many years in our country and some would say we are long overdue for a disaster like this to happen. And I don't believe we can ever expect the government to really protect us from it ever happening again...that is unless we become a dictatorship and close our borders and airspace, leaving us with even more pain and sorrow...but then of course of those who would bring terror to our nation already live within our borders.

From where I sit, I see a nation that has become so self proficient, so complacent, so arrogant that we have forgotten there is really only one that can really protect us, and that is God. And some of us have been so busy trying to right the wrongs of the world and of our country, that we have forgotten to look inward at our own hearts.

Our country has been reaping the blessings of our forefathers who had respect for God and had a place for him in their lives and in government. We've seen over the years the deterioration of religion, our basic moral fiber, and of our country. God has still been gracious, but now, what if he is moving his hedge of protection a little to try to get our attention and cause us to wake up and come back to him. We've seen this time and time again in the Bible in his dealings with Israel. When he loves someone, or in this case a country, he blesses them when they are giving him the place he deserves in their hearts and lives. But when they decide to let sin rule, and become rebellious, he allows them to have their own way and then they have to pay the consequences of not honoring him as sin and man rule. (Remember now...I said "what if." I like what one Christian pastor said in response to the unfortunate remark about this being God's punishment on our land. He said he couldn't speculate because he "wasn't invited by God to those meetings.") Only God can know for sure, but I believe it is wise to consider that possibility.

We look to President Bush, the CIA, the FBI to protect us, to take away the terror in our hearts and minds. And if this is a 'wake-up call from God, then I believe if we do as God says, humble ourselves and repent of our sin and turn from our evil ways, He will heal our land...and please notice that he says "...my people..." meaning that the Christians are the ones who are to be doing this He is not referring to the non-believer. That tells me the responsibility is ours--mine. We, as Christians, cannot point the finger at anyone else. He is our only hope...for safety, for our economy, for our very life. I want to do my part to bring healing to our nation. I want to turn to the one who can truly be my peace, my protection, my help in the time of need.

I hope we will all use this tragedy as a time to re-evaluate where we are spiritually, regardless our denomination or beliefs. Where do you put your trust?  I want to put my trust in the Lord and I would like to be able to say with David,  "When I am afraid, O Lord Almighty, I put my trust in you.Some trust in their war chariots and others in their horses, but we trust in the power of the Lord our God." Psalm 56:3; Psalm 20:7

Some other statements of trust in God:
 

Even if a whole army surrounds me, I will not be afraid; even if enemies attack me, I will still trust God.   Psalm 27:3

I trust in God and am not afraid; I praise him for what he has promised. What can a mere human being do to me? Psalm 56:4

"You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in you I trust." Psalm 91:2

It is better to trust in the Lord than to depend on human leaders. Psalm 118:9

He is my protector and defender, my shelter and savior, in whom I trust for safety. He subdues the nations under me.  Psalm 144:2

You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you. Isaiah 26:3

"But I will bless the person who puts his trust in me."  Jeremiah 17:7

You will notice that many of these statements were made by King David.  He was a king, yet he told the people to not put their trust in their leader.  King David trusted in God, yet he was also a part of the plan God used to bring his enemies down.  He went to war along with his people to defeat the enemies that came against Israel.  But he didn't put his confidence in his or his troops abilities to defeat.  He trusted God to bring to them the ultimate victory.  In other words, his faith was not a passive faith.  It was proactive, as our needs to be.
 

Yes, I agree with your comments here about Bin Laden. I don't believe he has the true faith of Islam either. I believe that he is just another "Jim Jones", using religion to gain control over people giving him power to lift himself up and achieve his own personal objectives. I think he has the Arab support he does, not because of any religious dedication from followers, but because of the frustration and envy that many Arabs hold toward westerners, Christians and Jews. Many of these Arabs live in a closed society, in impoverished conditions. While they may aspire to Western lifestyles, it is largely unattainable for them. The sin of envy and coveting their neighbors good fortunes are their entanglement and their religious fevor, I believe, is their excuse for these sins.

I have been so heartened by the reactions of my country in this time of great tragedy and pain...putting aside their differences and reaching out to  help and support each other as best they can, seeing how small and insignificant their differences are.  I hope and pray this continues and that our country, for the first time in a long while, can become truly united.   I am also so encouraged to see so many turning to prayer with little criticism from those voices that would usually oppose.  I think many are realizing the need for someone bigger than we are to help in our time of need. 

I received this copy of this commentary made by Gordon Sinclaire in 1973 in Toronto and wanted to share it with you while on the subject of the tragedy that happened in America this week.  I wish every country would read it.

America: The Good Neighbor. 

Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television commentator. What follows is the full text of his trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record: 

"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. 

Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States. 

When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it. 

When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped. 

The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars! into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans. 

I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines except Russia fly American Planes? 

Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. 

You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon -! not once, but several times - and safely home again. 

You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here. 

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. 

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. 

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those." 

Stand proud, America! 
 

(c) 1973 BY GORDON SINCLAIR - a Canadian radio commentator. 
To see the original transcript or hear the broadcast, go to:  http://www.snopes2.com/quotes/sinclair.htm