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| Live In Peace With One Another! |
Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
His ways are always prosperous;
your laws are rejected by him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”
His mouth is full of lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.
He says to himself, “God will never notice;
he covers his face and never sees.”
Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
“He won’t call me to account”?
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked man;
call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.
The Lord is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror.
(Psalm 10 NIV)
Today is a day of national mourning as we grieve the tragedy of September 11, 2001. We continue to suffer and grieve as we continue to struggle to comprehend the inhumanity of humankind. It is difficult, if not impossible, to understand how or why anyone would kill so many people in the name of God.
But, 9-11 was not the first time nor the last. History is replete with religious fanatics; religious wars. The Christian church on earth is not without its own guilt. As there are Muslim extremists so there are and have been Christian extremists who destroy the lives of others for what their egos tell them is the thing to do. I often consider the damage that Christian have done even to Christians over the centuries; particularly, as the hierarchies have striven for political power. Those are some serious "shake my head" moments as I wonder how humanity can be so inhumane.
It is not just religious fanatics who strive for power to gratify their own egos, either. Consider how many people die daily because of being terrorized not just by strangers; but, often by friends and even family. It seriously grieves me when I consider Chicago's crime rate alone and Chicago is just one of example among many; albeit one of the worst. How much more inhumane can humanity become than to put one's own desire for power above the lives of others?
Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; encourage them, and listen to their cry, defend the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.
God's Peace be with you all - Pr. J
