Does Terrorism Unite? #27
by Joseph Prescia
The headlines say it often, that terrorism has united America. It took the loss of over 5000 lives for Americans to build a cohesiveness. Before this great tragedy there was more bitterness, partisanship, and selfishness. Now that some lives have been lost and there appears to be the possibility of more being lost we are supposed to believe that Americans are a better people now than they were before September 11th. While it’s quite obvious that many are giving of themselves more now than they were before one can not be so naive as to think that terrorism unites America. A person will not do more than what he has prepared his heart to do in advance.
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...(KJV)
What I decide to think about day after day, week after week is the person I become. Surely a person can change, but not usually overnight. Psychologists tell us that it takes 21 days of new repetition to change a habit. And yet the media tells us that terrorism unites. Let’s consider another view.
American patriotism has united for a common cause. Americans had prepared their hearts to give, to love, and to serve. But because they had little to live and give for prior to September 11th they were distracted by some petty things in life like environmental issues, patients bill of rights, Social Security surpluses, etc. Now that September 11th has reminded them that life and death are realities, their attention has refocused to more important issues in life that are not to be taken for granted like freedom, dignity of life, and a personal relationship with God. Church attendance is up. Patriotism is up. Concern for fellow Americans is up.
If the media wants to insist that terrorism unites America then this would imply that it takes a tragedy for people to turn to God. This would be true if one were to make Him their emergency God only. But those of us who know Him personally every day have relied upon Him and thanked Him long before September 11th. Thank God for the freedom that made that possible. |
