Newspaper Article - Untapped Power

Below is a recording and the text of an article that Pastor Rudiger wrote for The Clarion News.

I’m writing this on Monday, June 23 and according to The Weather Channel, we should be hovering around the mid-80s, low-90s by the time this article appears in the paper. And for me, it really doesn’t matter where you grew up, this is hot, end of discussion.

Of course, that’s not the only heat we’re feeling nowadays, not with protests all over the country and folks being rounded up for deportation and American bombs being dropped on Iran and vice versa. Now that’s heat of an entirely different kind. And even though I know what to do when the physical temperature is high, as a minister of Jesus Christ, I’m frustrated that I don’t exactly know how to help the people I serve come to grips with the chaos that’s breaking out all around us. And even though it’s tempting and would be easy just to ignore it and talk about things that sound more spiritual, I really don’t feel comfortable avoiding a topic just because it might get me into trouble.

And it’s interesting, right before I started writing this article, I read one of the daily readings on the PCUSA web page. It was from the Book of Acts and dealt with what was happening within the infant church. Now this was what the Evangelist Luke wrote:

The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. All of the Lord's followers often met in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch. No one outside their group dared join them, even though everyone liked them very much.

Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. Then sick people were brought out to the road and placed on mats. It was hoped that Peter would walk by, and his shadow would fall on them and heal them. A lot of people living in the towns near Jerusalem brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and they were all healed.

The high priest and all the other Sadducees who were with him became jealous. They arrested the apostles and put them in the city jail. [Acts 5:12-18, CEV]

Now that’s what Luke wrote, and after reading it, I was reminded of two realities that I’d forgotten. You see, first, right here and now, the church, the Body of Christ has untapped power. As a matter of fact, we have more power than we may have ever imagined. I mean, just like Peter was able to heal people with his shadow, God has empowered us to deal with the chaos and the hatred that seems to be all around us. You see, we can stand up and affirm that, in spite of the confusion, there’s order to creation and that we’ve been called to love both our God and our neighbor, and it doesn’t matter whether our neighbor is next door or on the other side of the world. You see, this passage reminds me that we have power. 

And second, it also reminds me that, when we serve Christ, we’re going to face opposition.  Of course, their motives may vary but their goals don’t. You see, when we’re standing up and speaking out for what’s right, they’re going to do their best to force us to sit down and shut up. And for this reason, I think it’s important for us to claim the power we’ve already been given and like those early disciples, to come together so we might do what Christ has called us to do and to become the people we’ve been empowered to be. Together, we can face the opposition.

And so, even though the temperature may continue to be high and from time-to-time, we’re going to feel frustration, I think we need to remember that, just as it was in the early church, we have untapped power that we can claim as we face those who oppose us. And if we do, we just might see miraculous things happen. 

Newspaper Article - Ancient Southern Presbyterians

Below is a recording and the text of an article that Pastor Rudiger wrote for The Clarion News.

On Wednesday, we entered a season within the church year that’s called Lent, a word that comes from Middle English meaning “springtime.” Of course, for many Christians, the Season of Lent means more than just the end of Punxsutawney Phil’s curse and the coming of baseball. For them, it’s the 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter that offers us the opportunity to get ourselves right with God through penitence and fasting. And that’s the reason many decide to sacrifice something they enjoy to focus and to sharpen their dedication.

But it’s right here where ancient Southern Presbyterians face a problem. You see, unlike our Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian, and Methodist brothers and sisters, southern Presbyterians who were raised in the 1960s didn’t really stress liturgical seasons; therefore, Lent just wasn’t a big deal. Of course, back then, some folks who attended other churches talked about what they were giving up. For example, I had friends who said they weren’t  going to chew gum or watch Batman for six weeks. This was what they were doing for Lent. But for my family, the time before Easter wasn’t all that different from the time after, at least not in our approach to God, candy or super heroes. 

And I’ve got to admit, I’ve carried some of that attitude with me during my 38-year pastoral involvement. Of course, for the sake of my congregations, I’ve talked about Lent and encouraged folks who wanted to make some kind of sacrifice, because showing our dedication to God is a good thing regardless of the time of year. Still, I’ve always struggled with the idea that somehow giving up March Madness would make me a more righteous person and better prepare me to celebrate the resurrection. 

But some of that struggle has eased a little bit lately, after I ran across a suggestion made by Pope Francis last year. You see, instead of challenging us to prepare for Easter by making some kind of often superficial sacrifice, he proposed that we consciously include 15 simple acts of charity into our 40-day routine. And here’s the list: To say hello (every time and everywhere), to give a thank you (even if you’re not “expected”), to remind others how much you love them, to say hello to people you see every day, to listen to each other’s stories without prejudice but with love, to pay attention to those who need you, to lift someone’s spirits, to celebrate the good sides or successes of others, to choose what you don’t use and donate it to someone who needs it, to help another instead of resting, to refuse to keep silent out of fear, to “get deep” with those close to you, to wash what you use at home, to help others overcome obstacles, and to call your parents if you are lucky enough to still have them. 

Now that’s what he suggested, and even though I’m not sure I understand them all, I can get excited intentionally doing these things over the next forty days or so. And even though I may never become moved by the meaning of this season in the same way some of my brothers and sisters are, I sincerely believe that, not only will applying these simple acts of charity improve my faith and my relationships for the next month and a half, I might be establishing habits I can carry into the rest of the year. And I can tell you, when you’re talking about Lent, that would be an outstanding thing to happen, even for ancient Southern Presbyterians.

For more information about Pope Francis’s suggestion, go to the following link https://www.mountcarmelblessedsacrament.com/15-simples-acts-of-love-from-pope-francis/ 

Newspaper Article - Now That It’s Over

Below is a recording and the text of an article that Pastor Rudiger wrote for The Clarion News.

Well, the 2024 election is finally over. Donald Trump was elected President with a majority of the Electoral College as well as the popular vote. And Dave McCormick defeated Bob Casey right here in Pennsylvania. The American electorate has spoken. 

Of course, our personal react to the results differ depending on the ones we supported and the values we hold. I mean, on one hand, many are euphoric, agreeing with President-elect Trump that we’re about to enter a golden age. On the other hand, there are almost as many who are dejected and afraid that, if the new president does what he promised, the country they pass on to their children will be seriously diminished. In other words, for some, heaven is coming to earth while for others, we’re knowingly entering the apocalypse. Of course, given the rhetoric that came from both sides and our very modern tendency to receive news exclusively from sources that reinforce what we already believe whether it’s accurate or not, this discrepancy of response is hardly surprising.  

But because the response has been so dramatic, maybe it’s time for us all to do three things intentionally we’ve haven’t done recently. For example, first, maybe it’s time for us to look forward so that we can recognize and address the challenges that lay in the future. In other words, instead of dwelling on past disappointments and slights, maybe we should claim the responsibilities we now have and the opportunities we can now see. In a sense, it’s looking forward with the same kind of confidence and faith that Jeremiah expressed when, speaking the words from God, he wrote, “I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering.” [Jeremiah 29:11, CEV] You see, now that it’s over, we can look forward.

And second, maybe we should decide to work together. Now, I understand that putting aside personal assumptions and prejudices have become an anathema in our society. And we’ve been groomed to see anyone who disagrees with us as not only wrong but also as the enemy, even the spawn of Satan. But that’s the case only because we’ve bought what our own sources of information have sold us and decided to accept their commercially-driven lies as truth. You see, we can buck the cultural trend and check our weapons at the door, so that we might draw together our unique skills and abilities and create a whole that’s greater than the parts. And in that way, we’re accomplishing the words offered by the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews when he said this: We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Some people have given up the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord's coming is getting closer. [Hebrew 10:24-25, CEV] Now that it’s over, we can work together.

And finally, maybe we should reclaim our focus. A few days ago, on Veterans Day, we remembered those who served in the military, and when you think about it, their service is actually about focus. You see, they had the ability to the focus on something greater than themselves, and that guided their actions. And we can all do the same. As Americans, we can focus on the principles that made this country great: justice, equity, compassion, and liberty. And as Christians, we can claim that two-fold command offered by Jesus Christ himself when he said this: "People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." The second most important commandment says: "Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these." [Mark 12:29b-31, CEV] Now that it’s over, we can reclaim our focus.

We’ve made it through the election, And God willing, we’ll have another in two years and another in two years and so on and so on. And during those coming election, people will feel passionate about candidates and causes. And they will fight for their side. And after it’s over, some will be happy while others sad.  That’s the way it’s been for almost 250 years and hopefully will be 250 years from now. But that’s not relevant today. Today we need to decide how we’re going to face tomorrow, something that I believe we can effectively do when we decide to look forward, to work together and to reclaim our focus. And although I wouldn’t have written this two weeks ago, I think this is possible, now that it’s over.

Newspaper Article - Reclaiming Our Unity

Below is a recording and text of an article that Pastor Rudiger wrote for The Clarion News.

Last week, there were two events that illustrate how much we’ve changed over the last twenty years. On Tuesday, we saw the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and I’m not sure you could intentionally create a better example of the divisiveness that’s become part of our society. I mean, names were called; outrageous claims were made and any semblance of civility disappeared before the first question was answered. And as I watched it, frankly, I felt sad, because I can remember the time when you could make a point without an accusation and when two people could disagree and even argue without the necessity of also feeling anger and hatred. For me, the debate was a reminder of just how divided we’ve become.

But then, on the very next day, I think I saw another possibility. You see, on 9/11, it seemed as though, for just a little while, some hatchets were buried and attention redirected. In other words, when Joe and Kamala, Donald and J.D. actually sat together, on the same stage with the same focus, personally I was reminded of something that I thought we’d lost. You see, it took me back to the unity we felt twenty-three years ago as we came to grips with something that seemed more important than partisan divisions and tribal politics. I also remembered us saying how the attack had changed everything, and how, from this point on, we weren’t going to let anything interfere with our unity. At least, that’s what we said back in the day.

But you know, in spite of all the decisiveness we face, I believe we can reclaim the unity that we felt on September 11, 2001 and saw this past Wednesday in New York City. In other words, I think we have the power to change our societal trajectory. And for me, what may be most exciting is that people of faith can lead the way by simply doing two things.

You see, first, we can decide to reject those who would divide us, and I’m talking about folks who frame things in terms of “us” and “them” and who try to convince us that “they” are, by their very nature, evil. I think we’ve got to decide to reject these voices, which may involve doing more than just not spreading and encouraging the anger and hatred. You see, it might be necessary to confront and to challenge this venomous rhetoric. As a matter of fact, we might have to take the same kind of stand the Apostle Paul described to the Christians in Rome when he wrote this:

My friends, I beg you to watch out for anyone who causes trouble and divides the church by refusing to do what all of you were taught. Stay away from them! They want to serve themselves and not Christ the Lord. Their flattery and fancy talk fool people who don't know any better. [Romans 16:17-18, CEV]

You see, as people of faith, I think we need to be willing to reject those who would divide us.

But that’s not all, because, second, I believe that we must also recognize our shared humanity. In other words, we need to look past our differences so that we can see and accept what we all have in common, something that we did remarkably well twenty-three years ago. Now, understand, I’m not saying that we should pretend that the differences don’t exist. That would be like covering rotting wood with cheap veneer. Let’s face it, we come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives which lead us to adopt different values and reach different conclusions and express different opinions. Still, as Christians, we have been made members of a community within which something far more important than our divisions draw us together. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, 

All of you are God's children because of your faith in Christ Jesus. And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. [Galatians 3:26-28, CEV]

With this as a model, I believe we can help our fellow Americans recognize our shared humanity.

For me, this last week was really interesting. You see, on one hand, the debate was a reminder of what we’ve become, angry, nasty and willing to accept statements and accusations that I think we all know, in our heart of hearts, are just being made to keep us divided. On the other hand, though, that ceremony on Wednesday demonstrated what we can become the minute we reject those who would divide us and recognize our shared humanity. In other words, I believe we can come together again when we make the conscious decision to reclaim unity. 

It Starts with Us

Below is a recording and text of an article that Pastor Rudiger wrote for The Clarion News, July 18, 2024. 

I’m assuming that everybody who’s reading this knows about what happened on Saturday, July 13. Based on a post to a gaming site and searches he made on his phone, it appears as though Thomas Matthew Crooks was a deeply disturbed and probably lonely young man who unfortunately had access to an AR-15-style rifle and a roof near the rally. What he did is another reminder that we live in an increasingly angry society, one in which violence is viewed by many as a legitimate expression of frustration.

And even though the assassination attempt was certainly shocking, I doubt that anyone could call it unexpected. Let’s face it, in the last ten years, our country has become increasingly divided and our political conversation hostile and extreme. I mean, now-a-days, many Americans think nothing of calling those who disagree with their opinions evil and demon-possessed. They accuse those on the other side as being Marxists or Nazis, communists or fascists. And they do it even though they really don’t know what those words mean, beyond what they were told on the internet or partisan commercial television. Sadly, we don’t discuss with those outside our tribe anymore; instead, we argue and condemn and hate. And for that reason, not only is the assassination attempt not a surprise, personally, I would be shocked if it were the last.

But this doesn’t need to be the case, not within either our county or our community. You see, this environment can change when people of faith put aside issues like abortion and immigration for just a moment so that we can focus on the one we claim to follow. And with our minds on Jesus and not on a lot of this other stuff, then maybe we’ll be able to hear him command us to do one thing that transcends any partisan issue. “ But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” [John 13:34-35, CEV] 

Simply put, I believe our decision to love others can begin to change everything, because, in my opinion, it’ll enable us to do three things that are also talked about in the New Testament. For example, first, it can move us to listen before we talk. And that’s important, because we really need to understand not just what the other person is saying but maybe even why they’re saying it before we respond. As a matter of fact, this decision might actually enable us to do what James talked about in his letter: My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things God wants done. [James 1:19-20, CEV] When we decide to love one another, maybe we’ll be willing to use our two ears more than our one mouth. That’s one.

And second, it just might also encourage us to treat all people with kindness and respect. You see, even though name-calling has become part and parcel in our political discourse, we can take a different approach by treating those who disagree with the same kind attitude that we’d like them to treat us. In other words, in our conversations, we can incorporate these words the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. [1 Corinthians 13:4-5, CEV] You see, when we decide to love others, maybe that will lead us to be patient and kind to everyone, regardless of whether they’re in our group or not. And that’s two.

And third, when we’re determined to show love, we just might be able to love those who continue to attack us. Of course, it would be nice if our decision to love others would miraculously cause them to love us, but let’s get real, that’s probably not going to happen. In fact, the kindness and patience we show may well be seen as a sign of weakness, only encouraging them to ramp up the name calling and the accusation making. You see, our decision to follow the example of Christ might actually help us understand what he had in mind when he said this to his disciples: You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. [Matthew 5:43-45, CEV] When we set our minds on love, our compassion just might extend beyond those who share our opinions. And that’s three.

I pray that this will be the last example of political violence we have to endure, but unless the rhetoric softens, this seems unlikely. But that doesn’t need to be the case for us. You see, we can put away the anger and hate so that we might hear Jesus command us to love others as we’ve been loved. And once we decide to do it, then we just may be more willing to listen before we talk and to show kindness to everyone and to offer compassion even to those who mistreat us. And in this way, we can change the political conversation, but it all starts with us. 

A Word from Ed - Something Positive for Lent

Below is an essay and recording I wrote on Thursday, March 2.

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When I was growing up in the South, the Season of Lent was not considered all that important, at least not in the church where I was raised.  But you know, even then, we all knew that Lent had to do with making some kind of personal sacrifice for about seven weeks. For example, one might decide to stop watching television or to stop eating chocolate or to stop going to the movies. You see, it was about giving something up. And I’ll tell you, even non-lent observers knew this, just like we also knew that, if you wanted to fudge on the sacrifice, you could give up something you really didn’t like doing anyway, you know, like listening to really long, boring sermons or eating collard greens or hitting your head with something hard. Now, when I was a kid, that was the extent of my understanding of Lenten sacrifice. You see, for me, instead of doing something positive, Lent was the time to stop doing something enjoyable. And because of that, it had absolutely no appeal to me as a child. 

Of course, since then, I’ve grown in my understanding of what Lent is all about and how it can be used to identify with the suffering Jesus experienced as he approached the cross. And in some of the churches I’ve served, I’ve encouraged folks to make the same kind of sacrifices I saw people make when I was a boy. In other words, I’ve come to appreciate how and why giving up something for Lent can be meaningful.

But suppose, just suppose, we decided to expand our perspective just a little bit. In other words, instead of just making some kind of personal sacrifice so that we can identify, in a very small way, with the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ, suppose we also made the decision to do something positive, something beneficial, in other words, something that we’ve all been created, called and commanded to do; suppose this was how we chose to approach Easter. For example, suppose we made the conscious decision to honor and to thank the one who died on the cross by simply doing what he commanded his disciples to do when he said this:

My children, I will be with you for only a little while longer. Then you will look for me, but you won't find me. I tell you just as I told the people, “You cannot go where I am going.” But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples. [John 13:33-35, CEV]

In other words, suppose this was our focus. And then suppose we turned to the Apostle Paul to define what love is all about and found these words he wrote to the Corinthians:

Love is patient and kind,

never jealous, boastful,

proud, or rude.

Love isn't selfish

    or quick tempered.

It doesn't keep a record

    of wrongs that others do.

Love rejoices in the truth,

    but not in evil.

Love is always supportive,

loyal, hopeful,

    and trusting.

Love never fails! [1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, CEV]

Simply put, suppose that, for the next forty-six days, we decided that we’re going to do something positive, namely to be loving and kind to everybody regardless of how we feel about them or whether they agree with us or not. I mean, instead of just giving up television or chocolate or movies, things that, at best, will only benefit us, suppose we decided to live as though we really believe that Jesus meant it when he said, “Treat others just as you want to be treated” [Luke 6:31, CEV]. I’ll tell you, if we all decided to do this together, just imagine how that decision would impact our families and our communities, even our country and our world. My goodness, not only might it become an example that others can follow, who knows, it might even become a habit that we’ll maintain well after Easter.

Of course, I recognize that folks who understand and value this season will continue to make personal sacrifices during Lent, and if they have the right attitude, I believe doing this kind of thing can be incredibly meaningful. But this year, let’s also do something else. As we move through this time together, let’s be intentional in applying the words of Jesus and loving others as we’ve been loved. In other words, as we move toward Easter, let’s do something positive for Lent.

An Essay for the Fourth - Remembering John Adams

Pastor Rudiger wrote this essay last week, and it was published in The Clarion News on June 30, 2022.

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Soon, we’ll be celebrating the Fourth of July, our national independence day. And I think I’m safe in saying, we’ll do it with a lot of flags waving, fireworks exploding and hamburgers grilling, and I haven’t even mentioned all the holiday shopping. But of course, none of this is new and exciting; this is what we tend to do every year. 

And while we celebrate, I’m sure we’ll hear the same names mentioned. For example, George Washington is always a big deal on the Fourth, as well he should. I mean, he’s our country’s father. And we’ll hear about Thomas Jefferson who wrote those immortal words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” And somewhere in the middle of flags and fireworks and hamburgers, we’ll hear about the guy who literally put his “John Hancock” near the bottom of the document that was signed by Congress on July 4, 1776. Now, I think these are the players we can expect to hear mentioned on the Fourth.

Unfortunately, a name that we may not hear is John Adams, and I’ll tell you, I think that’s a shame. You see, not only was Adams a member of the five-man committee that wrote the Declaration, along with Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, he was actually the first person who predicted that, in the future, we’d be celebrating the birth of our nation in early July. In a letter to his wife, John Adams wrote that Independence Day should be celebrated “with pomp and parade, with shews (shows), games, sports, guns, bells, bonfire and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.” And of course, Adams was also the first Vice President of the United States and the second President, having been elected after George Washington decided not to run in 1796. Now those are some things that John Adams did, and in my opinion, that’s why he should be remembered somewhere during our celebration.

But as important as all he did was for the country he helped to birth, I believe his greatest gift to us as Americans was actually something he chose not to do. Remember, I wrote that he was the second President of the United States. Well, in 1800, he ran for reelection against his former friend and now political rival, Thomas Jefferson. And I’ll tell you, it was a nasty campaign, with both sides getting really personal in their attacks. They even misrepresented what their opponent believed and called one another names. Fortunately, we’ve risen above all this foolishness, right? That was the campaign of 1800. And after the electoral votes were counted, John Adams lost to the guy who’d called him a monarchist, the equivalent of be called a Nazi or communist now-a-days.

And it was right here that John Adams gave this nation the most incredible gift possible. He decided not to disregard the results and to stay in office, something he could have certainly done given the fact that he was not only the Commander-In-Chief but his political party controlled both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court. And since George Washington had won both his elections unopposed, there was no precedent for what a President was supposed to do if he should lose. President Adams could have simply refused to leave the White House, forcing President-Elect Jefferson to remove him, something that would have demanded force. 

But of course, that’s not what President Adams did. Instead, on March 4, 1801, he simply left the capital, peacefully turning power over to his rival and establishing a precedent that other presidents have chosen to follow. And in my opinion, this saved America, allowing power to move between rivals without violence. I mean, it would have been impossible for the United States to survive, if every time a president failed either to be renominated by his party or to lose the general election (something that’s happened 14 times in our history), the country was thrown into civil war. That hasn’t happened. And for that, we can thank the voluntary sacrifice of John Adams. 

Of course, we don’t know what motivated President Adams to step aside peacefully. He never offered a reason or rationale. But since he was a Christian who valued the Bible as a guide for both faith and practice, I’d like to think that his decision was grounded, at least in part, on these words of Jesus Christ: 

You know that those foreigners who call themselves kings like to order their people around. And their great leaders have full power over the people they rule. But don't act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. And if you want to be first, you must be everyone's slave. The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people. [Mark 10:42b-45, CEV]

This was the kind of perspective Jesus commanded his disciples to have. And since, in 1813 he wrote this in a letter, “I have examined all, as well as my narrow Sphere, my Streightened means and my busy Life would allow me; and the result is, that the Bible is the best book in the World,” I believe John Adams knew it.

But regardless of his motivation, President Adams offered us a wonderful gift in 1801, one that allowed us to develop as a nation and a people. Instead of holding onto power with bloody fingernails, he simply let go, trusting in the providence of God and confident that who we are as a country is so much more than a person or a party or an ideology. And for me, this is why we should remember John Adams on July 4th. 

The Unifying Spirit of 9/11

Below is an essay I wrote on the 15th anniversary of 9/11. But today, on the 20th anniversary, I think the problem and the challenge may be even greater than they were five years ago.

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In the fall of 2001, I was teaching high school Civics and World History 1 in Buckingham County, Virginia. And after the first period, as I was going to office to check my mail, I noticed that a television in the library was on, and one of the Twin Towers was on fire. And I remember asking the librarian what had happened, and she said that a plane had hit it. Now, that certainly seemed possible. I mean, if there'd been some kind of engine problem, it certainly might have lost altitude and crashed into the building. It made sense. But then, as I was standing there, I saw another plane hit the other tower. And suddenly, an accident was no longer a possibility. It had to be intentional. It had to be an act of incredible violence. It had to be something that I'd never seen

before. 

And throughout the day, as more information came out, the magnitude of what had happened became more apparent. Not only had the Towers been hit, but also the Pentagon. And another plane had crashed in a Pennsylvania field. We also had a better sense of those responsible. And as I was driving home, listening to NPR, I remember the reporters and the commentators saying that, after this act of terrorism, nothing would ever be the same again. America and Americans would come together and experience a renewed sense of the unity that would take us into the next century. As a country, we would be forever changed.

And for a while, they were right. Politicians talked about our new national sense of focus. Together we declared war on terror, forgetting that it's just as difficult to fight an emotional reaction as it was to wage war on poverty and drugs. And I bet every other car had at least one of those little window flags, and it didn't seem to bother anyone that they were all manufactured in China. We did feel some kind of unity, a closeness that we didn't have before. Maybe we had changed.

But now, here we are, fifteen years later, and I think most of us recognize that our national unity didn't last. I mean, the brand new One World Trade Center, formerly the Freedom Tower, is now open and the rent has been cut from $75 to $69 per square foot on floors below the 64th in an attempt to attract more tenants, given that 44% of the building hasn't been leased. We've fought two quasi-wars in Iraq and Afghanistan using the attack as dubious justification. We've put partisan spins on violence in Sandy Hook and Baltimore to suit our political tastes. And we're in the middle of one of the nastiness presidential campaigns I've ever seen, one where you have to filter the muck to find anything positive much less inspirational and where telling the truth seems to reflect political weakness and the Russian dictator is offered as an example of the kind of leadership we need. America seems to be coming apart at the seams, with Americans debating which lives matter most. And although we might debate whether the level of our divisions is greater now than it was fifteen years ago, I'm not sure anyone could say that, with respect to national unity, we're stronger now than we were then.

And maybe all this offers a powerful lesson for the church, and I'm talking about Christ's Body, 

an organism drawn together by the Holy Spirit. You see, regardless of the prevailing winds of politics or the current crisis trumpeted by 24-hour news services that desperately need stories to retain viewers, it's really up to us, the church, to bear witness to the unity intended in Jesus Christ. You see, when Paul wrote to the Galatians, "there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus," he wasn't just messing around. And when he said to the Ephesians, 'for [Christ] is our peace; in his flesh he has made both [Jews and Gentiles] into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us," I think he mean exactly what he said. 

You see, in the church, we need to do what the nation couldn't seen to pull off after 9/11. We need to be place where all people can come together, without secular distinctions separating us into groups. We need to be the place where walls and barriers are torn down and not put up, because we know that God was the one who brought us together into this place for a reason and that we need one another. And we need to be the place where faith guides our discussions and where if it doesn't sound like something Jesus would say and look like something Jesus would do, we probably shouldn't say or do it either. It's on and in him that we've been built, and for us to look for unity anywhere else would be like building the One World Trade Center, formerly the Freedom Tower, on sand. To me, this is the example we might offer both our country and our world.

From where I stand, we haven't done a great job of maintaining the unity we had about fifteen years ago. But when you think about it, maybe that's to be expected. I mean, we live in a world in which we're taught and encouraged to focus on ourselves: on our health, on our wealth, on our happiness. And since the resources to attain those things are limited, well, unity involves concepts like equality and sharing and those ideas don't fit comfortably in a me-centered world. But the church is different. Within the Body of Christ, the old distinctions are no longer valid. The rigid walls have come down. And despite our different skills and talents, we're all equal in the sight of God. And so, it's in the church, among Christian brothers and sisters, where the unifying spirit of 9/11 should be always present.