9-11 Devotions: 9/11 Revisited - Luke 13:4-5

Luke 13:4-5    “Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 

Like most Americans who lived through 9-11, I can still hardly believe it. It was a beautiful sunny morning which turned into a wicked and terrible day. We were all stunned at the time and didn’t know why it was happening. It was a deadly day where fear and alarm really tested our faith and allegiance to God.

This morning, I watched a documentary about 9-11 and saw some things that I had never seen before. Some unfortunate people, who were trapped in the burning towers, jumped from the windows so that their bodies would be found. People on the ground were absolutely horrified and helpless. One African American lady was in tears, but through her sobbing she kept on praying, “O Lord, save their souls. O Jesus, save their souls.”

That was all she could do; that was all that she could pray, but it was a prayer of hope from a helpless person. The people who died in 9-11 on the planes, in the Twin Towers, at the Pentagon, or in a remote field didn’t deserve to die. They were just like us and we are still just like them, trying to get through each day of life safely and satisfactorily.

In Christ’s time, people who died disastrously were thought to be terrible sinners who had offended God and therefore they died horribly as a punishment for their sins. When Jesus came, He changed that way of thinking. He told His people that accidents happen, disasters occur, and terrible deaths take place but they have nothing to do with human sinfulness or God’s wrath. People die because we are all human and frail. However, Jesus did also point out that all of us perish and that our souls may also be destroyed unless we repent of our mistaken ways.

I don’t think that anyone who jumped from the Towers on that terrible day did so without seeking God’s help and forgiveness. And I also believe that the simple heartbroken prayer of the woman in the street below was also compassionately answered: “O Lord, save their souls. O Jesus, save their souls.”

Questions for personal reflection

Where was I and what was I doing when the Twin Towers were hit on 9-11? What was God doing on that day?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, let Your Spirit of Compassion be near to those who lost loved ones on this day in 2001. Comfort them as they quietly and painfully relive those terrifying moments on that awful day. Help us to do what we can to commemorate and cherish those who were lost. Keep us mindful of our own mortality and enable us to embrace Your forgiveness and love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. if you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest 9-11 tribute drawing called “Still There.” It features some of the firemen at Ground Zero raising a US flag to show the world that we may have been wounded painfully as a nation, but we were not defeated. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8178/7974965148_1b1e34a867_b.jpg

4 Minute Devotions: Constitutional Crossroads

Today is one of the most important days in the history of our nation. May God bless America and our next President, whoever he turns out to be.

Podcast version here

Jeremiah 6:16 This is what the LORD says:” Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

This is the most amazing election I have ever experienced. I think the nearest election in comparison was Tony Blair’s win way back in Britain in the 1990’s. By that time, our family had crossed the Atlantic, but our relatives were really buzzing about the changes that were coming. After five elections and sixteen years of Tory rule, the people in Britain were crying out for change.

I don’t what will happen today, but this I do know. America is a winner. When so many people are fired up about voting, it means that the people are actually taking power back into their hands. Far too often, we take our freedoms for granted. But this year, things are wonderfully different, and I feel that God is truly blessing America at this moment in her history.

Whatever the outcome, the next President will really need our prayers. The economy is in a mess and its affecting all of our lives. We’ll be looking for strong leadership from our President and he will probably have to make some unpopular decisions in order to get us back on the right course. That’s when our daily prayers will become crucial. We want our President to be guided by God and protected by His Spirit. I’m going to try to pray for him each morning and night.

Let’s hope that together, we find the good way for our country and that we all walk in it. We are all weary of broken promises and governmental inefficiency. We don’t need anymore political filibusters or failed policies. We need our politicians to act, represent and carry out good government for all of our people. That way God will bless America and enable us to help the rest of the world.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, these are crucial times and we thank You for the beautiful and dutiful responsibilities that our citizens are fulfilling today. May the outcome of this election lead us to a brighter and better future, not only for the USA, but for the entire planet. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.