Today is the tenth anniversary of September 11th. We have many ways to remember this anniversary. We can harbor anger and not be willing to forgive those who attacked America. In fact, we can hate all Muslims and think that it is the patriotic thing to do. Our forefathers did not believe that hate was required to be good Americans. In fact, many of them came to America so that they would be free to worship God in the way that they believed. Now, worshipping God in a different way is considered to be evil. How did that happen?
The destruction of the World Trade Center towers on September 11th made me afraid of all Muslims. I had anger in my heart toward Osama bin Ladin and the other members of Al Qaeda. I was also told bad things about the Muslim people in northern Ghana by the southerners. The southerners told me how backward and evil the northerners were. I also learned a lot about Muslims in emails that are forwarded a thousand times without checking the facts of whether or not the information in the email about Muslims are accurate. It was easy to read the newspaper and listen to the TV news to find reasons to hate or be afraid of Muslims.
Muslims get married and have children just like we do. Muslims also love and dream of a better future just like we do. Muslims are faithful or sin just like we do. Muslims forget about God at times just like we do. There are short and tall Muslims. There are rich and poor Muslims. Muslims have big and small families. Muslim women seem to be more faithful to God just like the Christian women raising their families here. Muslims also laugh and cry. Muslims rejoice and come together to grieve the life of a friend. It would be possible for us to be friends with Muslims if they lived and worked in our communities. I believe that Jesus Christ is the way, truth and the life. I also believe that the way to reach Muslims is with the love of Jesus Christ and not with hate, anger and fear.
I would probably still be afraid of all Muslims if I didn’t meet them face to face in Ghana. I realized that Muslims love their children and their family and their God just like we do. The Muslims have the same hopes and dreams for the future as Americans. The difference is that Americans have a better chance of seeing their dreams come true. Muslims and Christians both have a desire to make a difference in this world. We all want to see the thirsty have water to drink, the hungry have food to eat, and the naked to have clothes to wear.
I’ve learned that Muslims are better at fasting and praying than Christians. Methodists are very methodical about eating. We have covered dish suppers. We have pancake breakfasts and spaghetti suppers to raise money. We eat donuts and drink coffee just to say hello. We sold hot dogs, cakes, and pies at the yard sale. Christians just eat all of the time. We also eat to remember Jesus Christ dying on the cross. We call it Holy Communion, but it is eating just the same. Christians pray when we want something from God. Muslims pray like clockwork every day. They even have people reminding them to pray on loudspeakers. Muslims will even get up early to pray before daybreak. Christians tend to pray before we go to sleep or before we eat. Christians are lucky to remember to pray each day. Perhaps, it would be good for us to have someone remind us to pray more often.
The Muslim faith believes in a doctrine of works. The Christian faith believes in a doctrine of grace. The Muslim faith believes that the good work of a person is put on a scale and compared with the sins that have been done. The Muslim will go to heaven if the good deeds overwhelm the bad things done in your lifetime. The Christian believes that we are sinners and can’t pay or work our way into heaven. It is by God’s grace because Jesus Christ died on the cross that we are loved so much that we will go to heaven. We serve God and our fellow man out of thanksgiving, not out of fear that the scales will go against us. The Muslim faith is a fear based faith. Muslims serve God because they are afraid of doing something wrong. The Christian faith is a love based faith. We take action because we are loved by Jesus Christ.
The attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the airline that crashed in Pennsylvania struck at the core of America. They attacked and killed Americans in America. They meant it for evil, but good stuff has come out of it, too. People united for a few weeks after the attacks. People also filled churches all over America for a few weeks. We are talking and learning about the Muslim faith. God was present during the death and destruction. Whenever God is with us in the tough times, God makes lemonade out of the lemons.
We continue to hear stories of the firemen and rescue workers who rushed to the World Trade Center to help those trapped in the buildings. Many of the first responders willingly put themselves in harm’s way so that other people could live. In fact, the firemen and policemen do that every day that they go to work. We have doctors and nurses who care for patients. We have missionaries in the USA and around the world who put the needs of the people before themselves. We live in a world where love conquers hate no matter what people say in the news. One of the beautiful things was the outpouring of love for strangers. Could the terrorists predict that their hate would generate love and kindness?
The same happened with Joseph when his brothers sold him to the slave traders. They meant it for evil, but God used that event for good. God’s favor remained with Joseph as he became a slave and later when he was put in jail. Joseph had a lot of time to think of whether to love or hate his brothers for what they did to him. In fact, his brothers were afraid that Joseph would hate them when they went to him for food because of the horrible drought and famine. The brothers didn’t know whether they would face Joseph with love and compassion or hatred for being sold into slavery. They thought that Joseph could repay evil for evil so they asked him to forgive them through messengers.
In Genesis 50:15-21 “When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him." 16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you." ' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants." 19 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”
The response by Joseph in verses 19 and 20 are so powerful. Joseph tells his brothers that he was put in a position of power by God to help in the time of the famine. He also explained that the evil done by his brothers was turned into good by God so that thousands of people would not starve during the famine. Joseph told them not to be afraid. It would be logical that Joseph would greet his brothers with anger and hatred. Instead, Joseph saw the good and the way that God’s plan was still able to be implemented in spite of the evil committed on a seventeen year old boy.
What would have happened if Joseph had harbored hate for his brothers all of his life? He would not have been used by God because the hate would have blocked Joseph’s ability to listen to God’s call. Joseph realized that God used the evil done by his brothers to place Joseph in the right place at the right time. God’s plan for Joseph still happened even though Joseph experienced evil by his brothers and Potiphar’s wife. God still prevails in the end against evil.
It was necessary for Joseph to repay evil with love. Love conquered the evil and the hate. Love has conquered evil and hate after September 11th. We can listen to the news at the people who have not forgiven and continue hate or we can see the signs of love and forgiveness that overcomes the hate. The Middle East is also being transformed hopefully in a good way. The people are demanding that love and compassion replace the society based on fear and hate in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and even Syria. People saw that hate is not the answer. It has taken America time to understand that war is not always the answer either.
Giving people hope, faith, and love is the answer. That is why Jesus Christ gave us the great commission in Matthew 28:18-19 “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.”
What did Jesus command them to do? He commanded them to love! What did Jesus promise? He promised that he would be with us always. God was with Joseph as a slave and also in prison. God will be with us in the dark and scary days when evil seems to be winning out. We know that God is with us even to the end of the age. Joseph was able to explain to his brothers that their evil was turned into good by God. We are here to celebrate that the evil committed by the terrorists also is being turned into good.
We are able to see some of the good that God has brought, but I think it is too soon to see all of the goodness that God is doing to transform evil into love. My prayer is that Iraq and Pakistan and Afghanistan know peace, faith, and love. I will celebrate when people there are building more schools and planting more trees than land mines. I will celebrate when all of our troops are home from war and they are able to spend time loving their families instead of being at war.
Forgiveness is probably the hardest thing that we must do in our lives. First, we must forgive and love ourselves. Second, we must unconditionally forgive those who have harmed us. We don’t have to wait until the other person asks for forgiveness. Forgiveness can be between God and ourselves. We don’t have to allow the person to hurt us again after they are forgiven. We can remember to be careful, but to replace the evil with love and compassion.
The Apostle Peter asked how many times we must forgive those who have harmed us. Peter thought seven times was probably a good amount of times in Matthew 18:21-35. It says “21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.”
“26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."
If we expect to be forgiven of our sins, we must forgive those who have sinned against us. The lack of forgiveness will create a wall between us and God as well as us and those that we love. We must be willing to love those who have done evil. Joseph had to forgive his brothers before he was able to show them compassion when they came asking for food to eat. Joseph had to forgive Potiphar’s wife before he could interpret the dreams of the cook and waiter and finally Pharaoh’s dreams. Joseph had to forgive the waiter or cupbearer when he forgot him after his promise of returning back to service for two years. Joseph had a lot of reasons to hate because of the evil things done to him, but what good would have been done by hating his brothers?
It is easy to say that Joseph should have forgiven his brothers so that God could use him to save thousands of people from starving to death. It is harder to say that we should forgive terrorists after they killed thousands of people on September 11th. The tenth anniversary can be used as a day to remember the evil and the hatred or it can be used to celebrate that love conquers hate. I will celebrate the power of God’s love to melt anger and hatred away. In fact, God’s love turns evil into something good. If we don’t see the good that has come out of September 11th, then we aren’t turning our eyes toward God.
Our country also must turn back toward God. It is time for us to acknowledge that God protects and blesses America. God will protect his faithful people and turn evil into something good. God is with us no matter what. Some people are celebrating September 12th because that was the day that our country came together to heal, to care, and to love people we had never met. The best is yet to come. We will continue to see good come out of evil. We will see a day when the terrorists decide to lay down their arms and their bombs and pick a smiling child and see love shining in their eyes. We will see the day when people of different faiths come together because they see the love in each other. We may worship God in different ways, but God did not teach us how to hate. God taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves and to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength.
It is time to stop fighting wars with tanks, guns, and bombs. It is time to fight evil with love. We are the people who can love those that should be hated. We are the people who will follow the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. We are the ones who can look into the eyes of the people whom we fear and see a neighbor and a friend. We can see people in need who need the love and compassion of Jesus Christ in their lives. The love of Jesus Christ draws Muslims to us if we serve people with that love in our hearts. I am no longer afraid to care and love our neighbors even when those neighbors are Muslim. I now see their children looking up at me with love in their eyes and realize that their love has conquered my fear. Muslims have asked me to pray in the name of Jesus Christ for someone who they love. I’ve experienced a common bond when I care about their health, welfare, and future. We are not strangers in this world, but we are a people who have more in common because we have the capacity to love. God will help us when we are afraid to share that love with one another.
