It is hard to believe that it has been 6 years since the 9/11 attacks. With the busyness of life it is easy to forget. But today as I was driving my kids to school, when I heard the song, I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me. They added a montage of various recordings of actual conversations of people during the 9/11 tragedy and various snippets of speeches by people and the president. For some reason it made me cry. It was very powerful. I was thinking about all the Christians who are now with the Father. Who would have ever imagined that it was going to be their last day here on earth?
Also, as I was walking into the elevator of the parking structure, I was struck with the memory of first hearing the news about the first plane crashing into the Twin Towers. In fact it was the same elevator where a man asked me if I have heard the news. I remember going to the office and checking the news websites and seeing some of the pictures and then calling Christina.
In the wake of the 6th anniversary of 9/11 Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda have produced a video with a stern rebuke towards Americans. For some reason it got me thinking especially with some of the things that he said on the tape.
Bin Laden was giving the Americans “the solution” to the war in Iraq and all our woes. He said that there are only two things that could end the war – “One is from our side, and it is to escalate the fighting and killing against you. This is our duty, and our brothers are carrying it out. The second solution is from your side… I invite you to embrace Islam.”
Hmm… embrace Islam? That kind of sounds very evangelistic.
What stuck out for me was the difference, even though both Christians and Muslims seek to “evangelize.”
Christ calls Christians to love. I am still trying to find the consistency of jihads and terrorizing people with the Muslims mandate to love.
The Gospel does not need to be forced on people – irresistible grace will call out to people as the Gospel is preached. But if we don’t “embrace Islam” more acts of terror will occur? Hmm.
Christ is alive. Prophet Muhammed is dead. Bin Laden is mortal and will die one day.
Sometimes the differences tell it all. All religions talk about reaching up to God by good works, but Christianity is the only religion that says there is no way to reach up to God, therefore God reached down to us. Amazing grace.