In Tom Clancey?s great novel Debt of Honor his primary character, Jack Ryan, has become first the Vice President of our country and then later the President. He became President as a result of a terrorist attack on Washington D. C.
Throughout most of the book a plot was working where at least some in Japan sought to enter war with the United States once again. They had seized power in Japan from the controlling government and had set the wheels into motion. Eventually the plot was uncovered and the plan was squashed.
Throughout the book the current Vice President was involved controversy and cover-up. Finally, toward the end of the book he resigns and the President asks Jack Ryan to be Vice President to finish out the term as a reward for all of his hard work for the country. The night comes, the senate approves Ryan in a roll call vote and he is about to be sworn in when a lone Japanese airline pilot, for the glory of Japan, steers an empty jumbo jet into the capital, killing just about everyone inside the building. Ryan wasn?t in there, he was across the street waiting by an underground tunnel. While Ryan wasn?t in the capital, the President was. He was killed and Ryan became President.
During the events of the last Tuesday and the discussions that have happened since then, I have heard some say that the terrorists who attacked our country in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania might have taken their basic idea from the pages of this Tom Clancey novel. I can?t argue with that idea. It is entirely plausible. Far stranger things happen every day in the world around us.
In at least a few of those conversations I have heard that Tom Clancey shouldn?t write such things in his books. That I can argue with. To say that Tom Clancey shouldn?t write any more is to blame Tom Clancey for this great tragedy. As far as I can tell, from the investigation, no American is to blame for what happened. Yes, mistakes may have been made. Yes, we should start doing some things differently. But, our people are not to blame, not for this. Evil-minded people, throughout history have devised ways to carry out their terrible plans that bring devastation on the lives of others. This incident is no different.
In Clancey?s book, if memory serves me correctly, the question was asked, "how could this have happened?" This week I have heard the same question or similar questions asked about the terrorist attacks that have hit our country in New York, Washington, and rural Pennsylvania. I can?t remember if Clancey addressed this in Debt of Honor, I have read a couple more of his books since then. And, if he addressed the question, I can?t remember what he said. But, I know I can address the question both in the book and in real life America this week. This happened because evil exists in our world. It is just that plain and simple. It happened because some people that hate our country think the only way to change the world is through hate and terror, through killing innocent people and destroying the property of others.
I think it would be all but impossible for any of us to think that evil doesn?t exist in our world. All we need to do is look at the evidence, the remains of so many buildings that are now piles of rubble, the pieces of four airplanes scattered over the land, the bodies that represent so many lives cut short, not to even mention the bodies of many that we will probably never find all because of the evil that exists in the hearts of a relatively small group of people.
I have always found it interesting that a charismatic leader (I don?t mean charismatic in the religious sense) could assert such a powerful control over people. Men like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Marshall Applewhite, and Charles Manson to name only a few. They have asserted so much control over people that they have killed themselves and/or others with very little regard to what they were doing or to how permanent their actions are. I have a hard time imagining how someone could possibly fall into such a trap, become brainwashed, and blindly follow their leader without every questioning his tactics or motives. It is absolutely frightening to think about.
In recent years we have started hearing about this Muslim leader Osama bin Laden and what we are hearing is even more frightening. My knowledge of Islam is limited. I learned a little while taking a course in world religions during seminary. I did, however, learn enough to know that this is not what Islam is supposed to be about. True Muslims believe that they worship the same God we worship, the same God the Jews worship, the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. They believe we are all on the same path to spiritual enlightenment. The only difference is, they are further along the path.
Of course we as Christians would strongly disagree with their assessment. As followers of Jesus Christ as Messiah, the Son of the Living God, we believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except by Him. That is the enlightenment that we know and accept.
In my understanding of Islam, Osama bin Laden is nothing more than a Muslim cult figure. And, just like Christian cult figures such as Jim Jones and David Koresh have taken the Bible and twisted it to fit their own agenda, Osama bin Laden has taken the principle document of his faith, the Koran, and twisted it to fit what he wants to do, reign terror and destruction on the world.
For the life of me, I cannot imagine how someone can blindly follow bin Laden. I can?t imagine how someone could become so brainwashed with a message of hate. I can?t imagine how someone could willingly go to their death, at the same time killing thousands of innocent people while the one who was sending me sits back in relative safety, security, and comfort. I cannot understand except to say, it is the presence of evil in the purest form.
The pictures coming out of lower Manhattan, where the World Trade Center used to be, brought home a vivid picture from the pages of Scripture. As I looked at videotape I saw all the buildings still standing and the rubble in between. My mind flashed to this morning?s lesson, Ezekiel?s valley of dry bones. No the pictures have not shown human bones and body parts. Still, the pictures have vividly brought to mind the total devastation of a war zone. Many commentators believe Ezekiel?s valley of dry bones to be the site of a great battle, where many died. It was probably the site of a great defeat for the armies of Israel. It was a sign of devastation and loss. It was a place the Israelites would know and remember. Who among us could look at a valley of dry bones and not be moved? Who among us could look at a war zone and not be moved? Who among us could look at the destruction in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania and not be moved? These are the sites of one of the greatest acts of cowardice and evil that the world has ever known. When our President called this an act of war, I don?t think he was exaggerating.
When Ezekiel looked across the valley of dry bones God spoke to him. "Mortal can these bones live?" Ezekiel, knowing the power of God replied, "If you say so." God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones. When he did, the bones started to come together. They became covered with muscle and skin. Then Ezekiel prophesied to the breath, to the Spirit, to make the bones come alive, and they did. The bones lived. God took a huge pile of old dried bones and brought them to life.
God, speaking to Ezekiel in this visionary literature, was saying to Israel, "The devastation may be all around you. But I hear your cries. I know your pain. I know what you are feeling. Because I know this Israel will live again. I will breathe the breath of life back into Israel and you will know that I am God and I live among you."
I believe that God says the same thing to us today. I believe that God sees the devastation that is around us. I believe God hears our cries and knows our pain. God knows how we feel. I believe God cries with us and God hurts with us. God is alive. God is here among us. God is in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania and wherever there are people who are hurting from this great tragedy.
One question I have not heard, at least so far through all of this is, "Where was God?" though I am sure it has been asked. God is here. God is there. God is in the firefighters and the police officers that were among the first on the scene. Many of them are still missing. God was with the firefighters rescued in the SUV last Thursday. God is there in the rescue workers who are working to the point of total exhaustion, trying, hoping to save a few more people. God is present in the lives of people who are sending supplies and who are volunteering their time to help in anyway that they can. God is there and God is here and all around the country in those who are giving blood for the effort in hopes that they will save lives. God is there in New Yorkers who have the reputation, perhaps mistakenly, for caring about no one but themselves, yet they are coming together doing what they can for one another. Yes, God is there. God is at work in so many ways in this great tragedy working in all our lives to bring hope, healing and wholeness.
Ezekiel?s valley of dry bones was the story of hope for Israel. Yet some three thousand years later I see in this story hope once again, this time hope for a hurting land, coming out from under a tragedy of terror and destruction. I see God at work. I see God?s love around us. I know that wherever God is at work and wherever God?s love can be found, in that place we can also find hope.
How could this happen? It seems to be the question of the day. The most simple and best answer is evil in the hearts of men. It won?t go away as long as people are on the earth. As long as people inhabit the earth they will find ways to bring terror and destruction on others, whether they find it in the pages of a great novel or the creativity of their own minds. Evil will always exist this side of heaven, but as long as God is in heaven, and at work here on the earth filling us with love and grace, there will be hope for humanity. Because we know that God is good, we also know that in the end good will triumph over evil.
