Sitting in my study there are only three photographs, one of my wife, one of my three children and one of the New York skyline. The latter was taken on the top of the Empire State building looking east. It stays on my wall because I love New York. I think it is the greatest city on earth – full of sin and evil but at the same time full of opportunity, grace and people. People from every nation, background and culture. The place fascinates me and I envy those who have the privilege of ministering and sharing the gospel in that incredible city.

That photograph is important to me because it serves as a reminder to me of a ‘religious’ experience I had on top of the Empire State. At street level New York was big, impressive and seemingly invincible. 80 plus floors up it reminded me of Isaiah ch.40 – the people are like grass. I thought, ‘one nuclear bomb in the middle of Manhattan and it could all be gone. How vulnerable we are’. What a privilege it is to have the gospel to share with this fading and vulnerable world.

Right in the middle of that photograph stands the dominating twin towers of the World Trade Centre. No longer. On Tuesday afternoon an American friend came into New College library in Edinburgh and in a stunned voice told me that the World Trade Centre had been bombed, as had the Pentagon. It was hard to believe. I left and went to the bar in Waverly station to watch it all on cable. It was a sight I and many others will never forget. The second plane turning and diving straight into the remaining tower is an image that has been replayed over and over, not only on TV but in my mind. The audacity of the attacks, the death and destruction, the agony of the individual stories of loss and heartache makes the sense of loss palpable and personal. Gradually however other emotions come into play – anger, disgust and weariness. Especially weariness. I am weary of the politicians largely uttering banalities that to me have little or no meaning. I am weary of the endless analysis and constant chattering of the experts on the media. I am weary of the simplistic answers. Most of all I am weary of a sin sick world where these kind of things can happen. And I am weary of the reactions to this disaster. The children in Palestine who cheered and applauded; the individual who angrily pleaded for 10 Arabs to be killed for every American life lost; the children who stoned a mosque in West Lothian; the Israelis who took the opportunity to open up an attack on Palestinians in the West Bank; the scam merchants who phoned up elderly people and asked for donations for the ‘victims’; the relative who, before the death was even confirmed, was talking about making millions by suing American Airlines. Yes it all wearied and sickened me. But nothing hit me so hard as the following which was sent to me and many others. We were asked by Christ Covenant Church to join in a prayer, the conclusion of which was as follows:

“Look upon those who have perpetrated this act of aggression against the citizens of the United States of America. Deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; let their wives become widows and bereaved of their children; let their men be put to death, their young men be slain by the sword in battle; let a cry be heard from their houses, when Thou bringest a troop suddenly upon them; for they have dug a pit to take us, and hidden snares for our feet. Yet, Lord, Thou knowest all their counsel which is against us, to slay us. Provide no atonement for their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from Thy sight; but let them be overthrown before Thee. Deal thus with them in the time of Thine anger. Save and deliver us, we humbly beseech Thee, from the hands of our enemies; that we, being armed with Thy defence, may be preserved evermore from all perils, to glorify Thee, Who art the only Giver of all victory; through the merits of Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Such a prayer is sub-Christian. It assumes that the people of God are equated with the citizens of the USA. It breathes a spirit of self-righteous vengeance which completely ignores the teaching of Jesus that we are to love our enemies, to pray for forgiveness only as we have forgiven and to leave vengeance to the Lord. Above all it asks God to provide for ‘no atonement’. No Christian could pray such a prayer. At least not one who has any conception at all of what the atonement is and how much it cost Christ to redeem them.

How then should we respond?

With sorrow. Mourning. Tears. It is surely right to weep with those who weep and to be discouraged, depressed and saddened by the horror and loss of life. But let us not forget that this week many thousands of others have died because of mans inhumanity to man. This week Iraqi civilians were killed in an American and British bombing raid; several hundred Nigerian Christians were hacked to death; Palestinians died in further Israeli raids on the West Bank and another Jewish settler was killed. There were surely many more we have not read about or seen on TV. But God knows. His eye extends beyond CNN.

With silence. Sometimes we talk too much. Sometimes words are not enough. Sometimes we only create or enflame anger. There is a time to speak. But there is also a time to be silent and to sit like Job. Speechless.

With anger. Yes – it is right to be angry. Angry at sin and its consequences. Angry at the way that evil so wrecks havoc. Angry at the failures of human governments to protect. Angry at a religion which encourages young men to kill others by killing themselves in the mistaken belief that it is an instant passport to heaven for them and their relatives. But be careful with the anger. It is never 100% righteous in sinful human beings. And it is never 100% knowledgeable. We must learn to take our anger to God before we try and take it out on other human beings.

With humility. There has been a dreadful reaction of pride within both the British and the American press. We speak as though our civilisation is the be all and end all. We boast about western values as though it is obvious that the rest of the world is really uncivilised. We DO have much to be thankful for in our western tradition, especially in so far as it has been influenced by biblical Christianity, but we also have much to be ashamed of. Now is not the time to boast of our affluence, power and prestige. We have been humbled. The greatest military machine in the world, the most expensive security system in the world was beaten by a few men carrying ‘box cutters’.

With repentance. We do need to repent – individually and collectively. We have relied on our own security. Our own power, wealth and might. The collapse of the twin towers shows how fragile it really is and how empty we are without God. Our nations tend to regard God as an optional extra, to be called upon for state emergencies or state occasions. Little attention is paid to what he wants or what he says.

With love. Love for America. Love for those who are bereaved. Love for Ben Laden and the Palestinians and all who want to kill us. Love for God and his world. Motivated by that love we will seek justice – for that is surely the best protection against terrorism. The fanaticism of hate can only be overcome by the fanaticism of love. The fanatical Christian is one driven by a desire to love and share the love of God. For the love of Christ constrains, motivates and energises us.

I close with a quote from Tim Keller, minister of Redeemer PCA who are caught right up in the middle of things. “We are going to try to respond as a church in a way that honors Jesus and shows people a glimpse of who he is. “ Amen. May the Lord bless his people and enable us all to respond in such a way. And may he help Redeemer and other churches who are on the front line in New York and Washington. May God bless America – even through this tragedy.

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