The towers had fallen, the Pentagon was on fire, but no one knew what was going to happen next. We had a small TV at the LST office, and as much as we tried to work that day, we all kept drifting back to the TV to watch the reports.
We didn’t express our personal fears at first, but eventually someone voiced the question of who will want to get on an airplane and fly to a foreign country now? What impact did these terrorists make on the willingness of Christians to go into the world?
I had just finished writing the lead article for LST’s Fall newsletter. It was no longer the right tone, so I sat down and wrote the following:
September 11 re-shaped the world in which all of us live. Our priorities have shifted as individuals and as a nation; the same is true at Let’s Start Talking. This newsletter was ready on September 10—but some of it was no longer appropriate by the end of the next day. If we took a little longer in saying to you what is on our hearts, we knew you would understand.
After the initial shock and outrage came a longer period of deeply felt grief. So many dead and missing, so much destruction, our shattered sense of security at home—the horrific reminder that this world is ruled for a time still by the Prince of Darkness—what could we do but grieve!
While grieving, however, we learned something about how to respond to tragedy and darkness. You too probably noticed the many people running for their lives, running away from falling buildings, from death and destruction. Everyone was running away—except for the Rescuers! In the midst of the crisis, hundreds of firemen and police ran towards death and destruction in hopes of saving a few! The actions of these men and women changed the future for many others.
The metaphor is powerful. As Christians, we wear the badge of Jesus Christ, serving as Rescuers for God! We cannot stay home and protect our own interests; we dare not retreat from going into all the world; we must not isolate or insulate our churches, our outreach, our missionaries, or ourselves in the face of darkness and destruction. Because of the badge God gave us, because of the Name He lets us wear, we must run towards the darkness, into the danger, and look for those few that can be saved.
We at Let’s Start Talking will not forget the example set by the firemen and other rescue workers in New York. We are calling on God to make us strong and courageous this year. We need you to go with us and support this army of God more than ever!
For those who wear the badge, the job is not yet done! Ten years later, people are still dying in darkness, buried under steel rafters of Sin. No one worried about cost, distance, or duration. Whatever it takes, wherever they are, however long it takes–those were the parameters on 9/11!
We wear the badge. We have only one choice—only one desire: to run toward the ashy darkness with the hope of leading one more person out of destruction into light!
Mark's Blog 
9/11 was shocking, but let us not let the shock of it all lead us to think death is evil. Death is a good thing. This earth would not survive if nothing ever died. Death is just as essential to the earth working as is birth. The older I get the more I realize that leaving it to the young is a very good thing and that none us really wishes to live forever.
As for 9/11 specifically, it was my understanding that the perpetrators thought they were doing a good thing, just like we did when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Yes, death is ramdom, seldom expected, and less often welcomed, but this does not make it evil no matter the form in which it comes.
This world is good. It is as good as the day god declared it so.
Howard, as you know, I disagree with almost all of your basic premises. Death–with a capital D–is the result of Sin–which you also deny the existence of–but I would argue that our innate fear of death, avoidance of death, denial of death, that the suffering that accompanies death–all of this testifies to fact that man was made for Life, not Death. Of course, God has triumphed over Death, so there is no sting–and that is why you can find good even in death. The Goodness of God trumps Death.
And with regard to Hiroshima, my understanding is that President Truman decided to use the bomb to end the war. Without something catastrophic to end the war, the only alternative would have been invading the mainland of Japan, which would have cost perhaps a million lives, so even with the bomb and the horrible deaths it brought, the intention was to save lives and avoid death for even more.
I’m glad you find the world good, Howard. I can’t help but thinking of the verse in Romans 2:4 though: “God has been very kind and patient, waiting for you to change, but you think nothing of his kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives.”
Thanks for the metaphor of the rescuers running toward danger! Powerful!