Why Terror Has Struck America?

BLJ: This article was written in 2001 by one of my mentors, Rev. Duane Maxey. It has some good advice for today.

WHY TERROR HAS STRUCK AMERICA

By Duane V. Maxey

Psalms 9:20 KJV -- "Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah." 

Psalms 9:20 NIV -- "Strike them with terror, O Lord; let the nations know they are but men. Selah."

"Our Great Nation" is a phrase often used regarding the USA, and when this term is used we often think of America in materialistic terms, picturing in our minds its great expanse of land, its impressive buildings and monuments, and its formidable array of military arms and power. Seldom, if ever, do we think of America as being nothing more than men, and probably most of the time when we do think of the human element of our nation we picture it collectively, seeing in our minds our aggregate millions, and envisioning our great mass of citizens in conjunction with all of our material, monetary, and military trappings. Even thus, we often think of ourselves as a great nation.

Then suddenly, God allows some huge tragedy or terror to strike us! We feel our vulnerability; we realize our humanity, and we are brought face to face with our mortality! We become painfully conscious of our frailty and of our peril as individuals! The tragedy and/or terror has taught us that we are "but men" after all -- frail, human individuals. Stripped of our imagined trappings we are nothing more than feeble flesh and blood -- men, women, boys, and girls, mercifully endowed by our Creator with the breath of life, which breath itself could also be snatched from us at any moment!

It is just such realizations as this that struck us on September 11, 2001, when the 110-story, twin-towers of the World Trade Center were suddenly destroyed, and with them over 6,000 human beings ushered into eternity, in New York City, in Washington, DC, and in Pennsylvania.

Stripped of all of our imagined, collective might as a nation, we are "but men" -- very individual, very vulnerable, very frail, very mortal, and very much in need of God's help! Through the terrors and horrors of September 11, 2001, millions of Americans painfully realize this as never before! No wonder that since that hour "Amazing Grace" and "God Bless America" are now being sung by many who just a few days ago were outspoken advocates of the strict separation of the Church and the State! Prayers, and songs of prayer, invoking God's blessing on our land, are now voiced without shame and without fear of reprisal, and why? -- Because God made us see that we are "but men" upon whom even more and greater tragedies may fall, unless HE helps us!

Our proud "Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall," but on September 11th he "had a great fall," and the truth is that "all the king's horses and all the king's men" won't be able to "put [that] Humpty together again" unless God helps them to do so. President George W. Bush, along with all of America's military men, technology, and power, will never succeed in removing the world-wide threat of terrorism and in restoring the confidence and security of Americans, apart from God's help!

This is doubtless one of the main lessons intended by God on September 11th. An ancient prayer was answered upon our nation: "Strike them with terror, O Lord; let the [Americans] know they are but men." Terrorists plotted the heinous acts, but The Almighty allowed them -- else He is not Almighty. Therefore, in a very true sense, we are compelled to accept the fact that "He [God] hath done this!" (Psa. 22:31).

It was the devil and Joseph's jealous brothers who performed the cruelties upon him, but it was God who allowed them to occur. The former intended them for evil, but God intended them for good. Joseph finally perceived that fact, and related the same to his guilty brethren: Genesis 50:20 "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

Through the cruelties and terrors of Black Tuesday, salvation could also come to millions in our Nation. Our enemies intended it for evil, but God intended it for good. Will that intended good be received? or, will our nation overlook God's purpose in it all? More than America needs Revenge and Justice around the globe, she needs Revival and Justification here at home, and more than she needs the Rebuilding of her towers, she needs the Regeneration of her heart. Unless this too is seen, I think that we may be in store for even more terrors. Unless God prevents it, the day "when the towers fell" may be only the prelude to more crashes, both financial and material.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come," wrote the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1. Quite apparently, those times have begun, and we might be stunned and amazed to realize just how great and how near our perils are -- and we "be but men": -- not our Great Numbers, not our Goods, not our Gold, not our Guns, and not our Garrisons, but, "God [alone] is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalms 46:1).

God's Children, though weak and frail in themselves, can sweetly repose in that fact, and can add the next two verses of the Psalm as their testimony: "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah" (Psalms 46:2-3).