Dear Friends of
There are no words to describe adequately the enormity of
our feelings
in response to the recent attacks
on the
asking yourself how do we as
Christians with missionary hearts respond?
We are called to fast, pray and be agents of peace and hope
within our
communities. To be sensitive to
reach out to all people in the love of
Christ and continue to console one another. "For just
as the sufferings
of Christ are abundant for us, so
also our consolation is abundant
through Christ." (II Cor.
1:5).
We hope the resources below will be helpful as you respond
to this
tragedy today and in the days to
come.
Read A Letter from Jack (below, in
this email)
----------------------------------------------
(Or, read the article on the urbana.org website,
http://www.urbana.org/_today.cfm)
Jack Voelkel is urbana.org's Missionary-in-Residence. He
writes a
regular column on our website
(http://www.urbana.org/ns.aj.main.cfm) answering questions
from
students about missions, knowing
God's will, and other issues. He has
responded here to the recent
events.
Specific Ways to Respond
------------------------
http://www.gospelcom.net/iv/tragedy.html)
InterVarsity staff have compiled a
list of ways to respond personally
and within your community. We are
praying that God will comfort,
encourage and strengthen you.
- the
A Letter From Jack Voelkel
--------------------------
Dear Friends:
Most of us in the
terrorist attacks in
It has been an experience of shock, confusion, and deep
sorrow. How do
we as Christians with missionary
hearts respond to these events?
On the evening of the 11th, as I meditated on the terrible
events that
had happened during the day, I felt
that the Lord led me to a very
significant series of verses in the
rarely cited Old Testament book of
Lamentations.
You will remember that this book was composed by the prophet
Jeremiah
following the cataclysmic siege,
fall, and total destruction of the
beautiful capital city of
among the ashes and weeps out his
lament for the city he loved so much.
How lonely sits the
city that once was full of people!
How like a widow she
has become, she what was great among the
nations!... She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears
on her cheeks
(1:1,2).
Unexpectedly, right in the middle of his book, he shares
with us a
helpful word that I think can guide
us all as we face our own
contemporary tragedy. Let me quote
his words:
But this I call to
mind, and therefore I have hope;
The steadfast love
of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come
to
an end;
They are new every
morning; great is your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my
portion" says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him."
The Lord is good to
those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks Him.
It is good that one
should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord....
Although he causes
grief, he will have compassion according to the
abundance
of his steadfast love;
For
he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone....
Let us lift up our
hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven.
We
have
transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven (
Allow me to underscore some of his ideas:
1) No vengeance but repentance: Although he and his people
have
suffered terribly, Jeremiah does
not immediately plead for vengeance.
Rather (note the verses that follow) he recognizes the sin
of his
people that may have contributed to
God allowing this terrible
experience to happen. We in
trusting in money (symbolized by
the
our country's power and military might) as symbolized by the
Pentagon)
which have been used in the past to
take advantage of weaker nations.
While leaving open the privilege of honest trade and
self-defense, God
calls us to repentance for our
sins.
2) God is on the throne (note also
God by surprise. He knows and he
cares. Although the mighty walls of
forever. His faithfulness is great.
He wants all peoples to come into
His Kingdom. Here is Jeremiah's
missionary supposition!
3) God invites his people to seek him. These are moments
when we do
well to be quiet and to seek God;
to ask him how we should respond.
4) God gives his people hope and comfort. Jeremiah
recognizes God's
immense love, mercy, and
compassion, in spite of the horrible tragedy
that has occurred all around him.
In fact, it is God's character that
is his only source of hope as he
faces an uncertain future. In these
days when many Americans are
seeking scapegoats, it is an opportunity
for God's people to share his love
with minority peoples who may
wrongly be accused of supporting
the attacks.
My prayer would be that as you meditate on these verses,
that the Lord
would use the terrible events of
yesterday to draw you deeper into his
heart, guide you in your prayers,
and even help you reach out to
others.
Blessings on you all.
Jack