As the 13th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, I watch presentations like the trailer for William Kilpatrick's new book, Christianity, Islam, and Atheism: The Struggle for the Soul of the West, and I wonder--are Christians supposed to live in fear?
The background of this thought was the adult education class I'm teaching in our church--it's on Revelation, and last week we finished chapter 18. In the middle of this detailed description of the Antichrist and the systems he (it?) uses, the people of God are told to be glad that all that is being destroyed (v. 20):
"Rejoice over her, you heavens!
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you."
The reference is to 'Babylon', pictured as a 'harlot', which is Old Testament imagery for God's people Israel, who have left Him to follow after other gods. Evidently it means more than that (but probably not less)--last Sunday I attempted my own definition of Babylon: an all-encompassing system of human culture, values, religion, philosophy, economics, and government that attempts to achieve the outward appearances of Shalom (peace and well-being, full harmony in all of creation) without the inward heart (God at the center), and therefore ends up destroying what it so desperately seeks to achieve.
I can understand that Kilpatrick wants to warn us about the evil strand of power that is present in Islam, but quite frankly, I've never sensed that Islam had a corner on that.
Yes, America was attacked on 9/11. People lost their lives, children their parents, and people their friends. It was tragic and awful.
But I lived for 28 years in Germany, and I've talked a lot with older folks who lived through nights of bombing and destruction, and some of whom who had to escape for their lives, with what belongings they had on horse-drawn carts. One family distinctly remembers the leader of their group refusing to stay in Dresden the night of February 13, 1945. "I won't stay overnight in any German city," were his words. Hours later, they watched the city go up in flames.
It was their fault, right? I mean, Germany attacked the rest of the world. OK, but I also read the following in Scripture, this time in Isaiah 2:12-18:
"The Lord Almighty has a day in store
for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted
(and they will be humbled), for all the cedars of Lebanon,
tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, for
all the towering mountains and all the high hills,
for every lofty tower and every fortified wall,
for every trading ship and every stately vessel.
The arrogance of man will be brought low
and human pride humbled; the Lord alone
will be exalted in that day, and the idols
will totally disappear."
When we talk about 'innocent' people losing their lives, what do we mean by 'innocent'? Do we mean we're OK, and they're not? Kilpatrick claims that the West is built on Christian values that we are losing. Maybe, but I want to remember things like Indian wars, seizure of Mexican territory by force, individualism based on the Enlightenment, and I wonder if this is truly Christian. I want to argue that we've had some serious Christian influence on the history of the United States, but also some very serious pagan, idolatrous, and best, misguided influence as well--the sort of stuff upon which, according to the Apostle John, the empire of the Antichrist is built.
I guess my plea on the eve of the anniversary of a very horrible day is that we keep in mind that all things are being shaken, 'so that what cannot be shaken may remain' (Hebrews 12:27).
And I hope dearly that 1) Christians will love their 'enemies', reach out to them, share the Gospel with them, and above all, live in joy. After all, "your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28). I guess we should pay attention to doomsday 'prophets' like Kilpatrick, but please balance this out with works like David Garrison's, A Wind in the House of Islam. I think you'll be much more encouraged and built up from the latter.
Just a thought on remembrance of that terrible day.
No comments:
Post a Comment