If you're still looking for a 2 minute close to your 911 sermon, here's something I wrote and titled "Bedtime Reflections" on 9.11.01:
I put my babies to bed tonight with a more somber tone than
usual. Normally if they have their teeth brushed and “jammies”
on by 8 PM we do a little kick boxing, pillow fighting
... and weight training before our nightly devotions and prayers.
(“Way to calm us down, dad!”) But instead of our routine of
raucous fun, this night started out on a more sedate tone.We
began with the story of Jesus’ arrest in Matthew 26 and the
“put away your sword” command.We talked about the violence
done to Jesus, about his unwillingness to allow a follower
to pick up the sword in his defense and his strange
surrender to evil. “Those who live by the sword will die by
the sword,” Jesus told his friends. It’s not the answer.Violence
only causes more violence.
We spoke of our sorrow for the unspeakable tragedy of the
morning.We shared “Highs & Lows” for the day and a little
discussion.We prayed for the poor and powerless of the
world who often pay the price for the sins of their leaders
or a few fanatics in their midst.Then I found myself blessing
my 12 year old football player, Kathryn, and eight year old
Lego grandmaster, Joseph, with the strangest blessing they’ve
ever received: “I hope this is the darkest night of your life,” I
whispered.“I hope and pray this is the most hateful, evil night
you will ever know.”
I’m not sure my not-so-little ones fully understood what
their crazy dad was saying as I knelt down to kiss their foreheads.
I’m not sure I understood it, either. But deep down I
fear the 911 call on 9.11.01 was only the first of many uglier
nights. For when our collective national shock turns to anger
- and it will - and that anger turns to rage,we may soon find
our nation but a trip-wire away from the kind of blind stupidity
that lashes out at the innocent along with the guilty in
some foreign land half a world away. And that, dear friends,
will only plant the seeds for many,many more nights like this.
“I hope this is your darkest night, dear Kathryn and Joseph.
The most hateful, evil night you will ever know.” - RAM
I put my babies to bed tonight with a more somber tone than
usual. Normally if they have their teeth brushed and “jammies”
on by 8 PM we do a little kick boxing, pillow fighting
... and weight training before our nightly devotions and prayers.
(“Way to calm us down, dad!”) But instead of our routine of
raucous fun, this night started out on a more sedate tone.We
began with the story of Jesus’ arrest in Matthew 26 and the
“put away your sword” command.We talked about the violence
done to Jesus, about his unwillingness to allow a follower
to pick up the sword in his defense and his strange
surrender to evil. “Those who live by the sword will die by
the sword,” Jesus told his friends. It’s not the answer.Violence
only causes more violence.
We spoke of our sorrow for the unspeakable tragedy of the
morning.We shared “Highs & Lows” for the day and a little
discussion.We prayed for the poor and powerless of the
world who often pay the price for the sins of their leaders
or a few fanatics in their midst.Then I found myself blessing
my 12 year old football player, Kathryn, and eight year old
Lego grandmaster, Joseph, with the strangest blessing they’ve
ever received: “I hope this is the darkest night of your life,” I
whispered.“I hope and pray this is the most hateful, evil night
you will ever know.”
I’m not sure my not-so-little ones fully understood what
their crazy dad was saying as I knelt down to kiss their foreheads.
I’m not sure I understood it, either. But deep down I
fear the 911 call on 9.11.01 was only the first of many uglier
nights. For when our collective national shock turns to anger
- and it will - and that anger turns to rage,we may soon find
our nation but a trip-wire away from the kind of blind stupidity
that lashes out at the innocent along with the guilty in
some foreign land half a world away. And that, dear friends,
will only plant the seeds for many,many more nights like this.
“I hope this is your darkest night, dear Kathryn and Joseph.
The most hateful, evil night you will ever know.” - RAM
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