9/11 Plus 10

Yesterday we observed the tenth anniversary of the events of 9/11/01. Like every American over the age of fifteen I remember exactly where I was and my reaction when the first news came. I also remember the questions of that day – Why, where was God, why didn’t God prevent this, what happens now? And I remember the haunting question asked the next day in my Seminary class. “Dr. Crawford, would you comment on Romans 8:28 in light of yesterday’s events?” In times of crisis, Romans 8:28 is an oft quoted and sometimes mis-quoted verse, even more often mis-applied. The verse, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” does not say that all things work together for good for all people. Nor does it say that all things are good. And it certainly does not say that all things are God’s will. In a world of God-given choice, in order to have God’s will, there must be a not-God’s-will. A violation of God’s law can never be transferred into God’s will. Murder is a violation of God’s law; it is not God’s will. To those who love God and who are called according to His purpose, the verse says, things work together for good. Not our definition of good, which usually has to do with finances, health, education, etc. But God’s good – the good of all of God’s family. The next verse says God meets us in the midst of our tragedies and uses “all things” both “good” and bad to conform us into the image of our older brother, Jesus Christ. So what have we learned from 9/11 or other crises of the past ten years? Simply this: Continue to allow God to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ and when crisis comes, small or great, trust God whose truth is relevant in all situations, whether we understand it or not.

Join me this week in remembering the following global prayer concerns:
• Pray for Origin Church at the University of British Columbia (Canada) and Pastor Craig as they launch their new church on Sept. 18.
• Pray for Trey and Elise as they readjust from Central Europe to life in the States.
• Pray for children of missionaries who begin school this week.
• Pray for Cathie and Chris’ little girl Caytlin who developed a massive chest infection after surgery. She is on breathing treatments every 4 hours, steroids and antibiotics.
• Pray for the Cross-Cultural Missions Congress in Lima, Peru on September 22-24