Post by patriotpreacher on Sept 11, 2011 6:29:25 GMT -5
It was a clear, bright sunny day that Tuesday. I was pastoring in Orange Park, Florida at the time. We had taken on the task of establishing a Christian School and it was while we were in class that sketchy news came of some kind of explosion in NYC possibly at the Twin Towers. I left monitoring the one-room school, returned to the classroom with our TV and we watched the live broadcast together as the 2nd tower was impacted.
Forgive me if what I say next for sounding pompous or presumptuous but even as the deluge of information/intelligence began to pour out of all the media sources, I already knew that these were not random acts of sorely misdirected aircraft. Rather, they were the end result of a long-planned concert of incidents. America - MY America - was under attack. An attack of the most despicable kind - terrorists murdering innocent civilians.
I called the day and sent everyone home. Disbelief quickly became rage. In my little mind it was time to discover who was responsible and go to war. A war, not like it has become but a real war with a real enemy from a real place with real, measurable devastating results to this enemy and a real, measurable timeframe. I headed to the U.S. Naval Reserve Bldg. that weekend to try to re-enlist. I, like multiple millions across this country, wanted to have a part - however small - at getting a piece of someone's ass for what had been done. Needless to say, that did not materialize for me.
Here we are - 10 years later. Let me ask you to do something as the lame-stream-media tries to out point each other through emotionalism and hype. Join with me in considering the families and friends of those who were lost. Let's try to put ourselves into their shoes for just a minute; try to get a grasp of the magnitude of their grief caused by such horrific events; try to imagine the emptiness caused by not knowing for days - or even a few weeks - if their friend, loved one, Mom, or Dad was alive or dead. Let's reserve at least a few moments to do something I think is being lost from our culture: let's mourn with those Americans who are mourning today.
Why do this? The arguement is really either of, "what good does it do them if I'm so far away?" or "what's the point?". The answer to both is simple: to do so represents a national unity of heart and purpose along with a regeneration of concern for each other in this once great nation. We're losing what little national fiber we have. This is our chance at salvaging some of it.
Ecclesiastes 3:
1 "ΒΆ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." (emphasis mine)
Forgive me if what I say next for sounding pompous or presumptuous but even as the deluge of information/intelligence began to pour out of all the media sources, I already knew that these were not random acts of sorely misdirected aircraft. Rather, they were the end result of a long-planned concert of incidents. America - MY America - was under attack. An attack of the most despicable kind - terrorists murdering innocent civilians.
I called the day and sent everyone home. Disbelief quickly became rage. In my little mind it was time to discover who was responsible and go to war. A war, not like it has become but a real war with a real enemy from a real place with real, measurable devastating results to this enemy and a real, measurable timeframe. I headed to the U.S. Naval Reserve Bldg. that weekend to try to re-enlist. I, like multiple millions across this country, wanted to have a part - however small - at getting a piece of someone's ass for what had been done. Needless to say, that did not materialize for me.
Here we are - 10 years later. Let me ask you to do something as the lame-stream-media tries to out point each other through emotionalism and hype. Join with me in considering the families and friends of those who were lost. Let's try to put ourselves into their shoes for just a minute; try to get a grasp of the magnitude of their grief caused by such horrific events; try to imagine the emptiness caused by not knowing for days - or even a few weeks - if their friend, loved one, Mom, or Dad was alive or dead. Let's reserve at least a few moments to do something I think is being lost from our culture: let's mourn with those Americans who are mourning today.
Why do this? The arguement is really either of, "what good does it do them if I'm so far away?" or "what's the point?". The answer to both is simple: to do so represents a national unity of heart and purpose along with a regeneration of concern for each other in this once great nation. We're losing what little national fiber we have. This is our chance at salvaging some of it.
Ecclesiastes 3:
1 "ΒΆ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." (emphasis mine)