A Fight to the Finish
Tony Nester
Ephesians 6:10-18
We have been living through a week of crisis, tragedy,
and grief. The horrifying events of Tuesday morning
have forever changed our nation. Just as an earlier
generation was changed by December 7, 1941 — the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, so this generation
has been changed by September 11, 2001 — the terrorist
attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.
This week has also been a call to arms. The United
States Congress has authorized President Bush to use
"all necessary and appropriate force" against those
responsible for the terrorist attacks. The President
has approved the call-up of 50,000 reservists in the
National Guard. The President has said, "We are at
war!"
These are dangerous times. We now recognize that we
are far more vulnerable than we had thought. "Airport
security" has become an oxymoron. Terrorists make no
distinction between military and civilian targets.
They have no morality as we understand morality — mass
murder is morally acceptable to them. Suicide bombing
of innocent people is considered to be a noble action
deserving of religious rewards.
The danger we face, however, is not limited to the
loss of life. We also face the loss of spirit. I
don't mean the loss of national courage. America is
the land of the brave. I have no doubt that this
nation has the courage and fortitude to face this
challenge. We will fight, fight hard, and fight long.
But in this fight we could lose our soul.
My fear is that we may end up fighting the wrong
enemy. We do not want to become the evil that we
deplore. If we give in to the dark side of hatred we
will become the evil that we deplore. The Bible says
that we are to overcome evil with good — not by a
greater evil. (1).
Our real enemy is not people — not even those whose
minds have become so twisted that they commit
unspeakable acts of terrorism. ...
Tony Nester
Ephesians 6:10-18
We have been living through a week of crisis, tragedy,
and grief. The horrifying events of Tuesday morning
have forever changed our nation. Just as an earlier
generation was changed by December 7, 1941 — the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, so this generation
has been changed by September 11, 2001 — the terrorist
attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.
This week has also been a call to arms. The United
States Congress has authorized President Bush to use
"all necessary and appropriate force" against those
responsible for the terrorist attacks. The President
has approved the call-up of 50,000 reservists in the
National Guard. The President has said, "We are at
war!"
These are dangerous times. We now recognize that we
are far more vulnerable than we had thought. "Airport
security" has become an oxymoron. Terrorists make no
distinction between military and civilian targets.
They have no morality as we understand morality — mass
murder is morally acceptable to them. Suicide bombing
of innocent people is considered to be a noble action
deserving of religious rewards.
The danger we face, however, is not limited to the
loss of life. We also face the loss of spirit. I
don't mean the loss of national courage. America is
the land of the brave. I have no doubt that this
nation has the courage and fortitude to face this
challenge. We will fight, fight hard, and fight long.
But in this fight we could lose our soul.
My fear is that we may end up fighting the wrong
enemy. We do not want to become the evil that we
deplore. If we give in to the dark side of hatred we
will become the evil that we deplore. The Bible says
that we are to overcome evil with good — not by a
greater evil. (1).
Our real enemy is not people — not even those whose
minds have become so twisted that they commit
unspeakable acts of terrorism. ...
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