A Year to Remember
Monday, December 30, 2002

It is difficult to comprehend the events of the past year.  The events of 9/11 shook America in a manner we have never experienced before.  The other major attack on our homeland which occurred at Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 was a devastating loss, but at that time our European Allies were engaged in a shooting war against the Axis powers of Germany-Italy-Japan.  Pearl Harbor was also focused on inflicting the maximum military damage and was not directed toward innocent civilians.  The horror of watching the events of September 11 on television over and over again made all of us feel uneasy concerning the presumed security we had as individuals and as a country.  The recent sniper shootings in the greater Washington area have once again heightened our sense of vulnerability.

We are now in the process of preparing for a potential attack on Iraq, an attack which will inevitably produce casualties and great turmoil before peace and democracy are established in Iraq.  The difficulty in developing a large coalition to deal with an outcast and criminal government in Iraq is a sign of the global tolerance of unacceptable international behavior and the inability of current world leaders to have the discipline and courage to deal with issues which deep in their hearts they know they should.  The United States, Britain, and Australia are largely alone in their willingness to lead the charge necessary to deal with terrorist threats which could adversely impact many nations.

This inability of governments to assume their appropriate responsibilities in dealing with nations which defiantly flaunt breaking agreements with the United Nations is a testament to the very poor political leadership that exists in most countries.

In this regard, America is truly blessed to have a president who recognizes he has a responsibility to do what is right, not only for the people of the United States, but for the people of the world, and most importantly for his God.  He is a man who holds his actions up to the measure of what God expects him to do and has the courage to do what he truly considers right.  This leadership philosophy is welcomed after the amoral leadership of the Clinton years.  Bush is president because God wants him to be.

When one couples the very difficult international environment to an economic recession and a devastating drop in stock markets worldwide, it is easy to see why people are asking, "Why so much difficulty today? Has God tired of propping us up?"  Man is born with an original sin nature and is only saved through the grace of God.  God has given man free will which created an unpredictable world and one where many lead lives influenced by Satan.  This is the world we live in, and God through history has shown extraordinary patience with us, but He is in control.  The great wonder and benefit of being a believer is we know that good (God) eventually wins and that true peace will come to the world.  In the meantime, evil will continue to exist, and the remnant of believers has the responsibility, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to faithfully spread God's Word to bring others to salvation and to change the world in a positive manner. 
The challenge for us in America, who have so much, is to recognize that we do have a responsibility beyond our Church, beyond our towns, beyond our state, and beyond our country to bring others to faith, and through these efforts help maintain God's continual patience and blessings on all.

Many died in the disaster of 9/11 and its repercussions, but the losses could have been far worse.  Hopefully, we can use this disaster to become a more spirit filled nation.  This is our challenge day-to-day: take the bad in the world, deal with it effectively, and use the resulting blessings from God to bring others to faith.