Unprepared

     On a Tuesday morning ten years ago we were unprepared for the events that were about to happen.  For the first time in more than a century a foreign enemy attacked our homeland. 

     As I headed to my office that morning, I turned on the radio to listen to the news.  What I heard caused me to stop the car, make a U-turn and return home.  The rest of the day I watched the unfolding tragedy of the twin towers on television.  I was in shock.

     When the truth about what happened finally came out, we were mystified.  We were unaware there was a culture in which people loved death more than life.  So much so that they were willing to choose death in order to destroy their perceived enemy.

     While some people are uncomfortable saying so, there are some things in life that can only be explained by the presence of evil.  And to pretend evil doesn’t exist is to ignore spiritual reality.

     In his book “The Ezekiel Option” author Joel C. Rosenberg wrote, “To misunderstand the nature and threat of evil is to risk being blindsided by it.”  And there’s no doubt we were blindsided by evil on September 11, 2001.

     Are we any better prepared today?  Sadly, not much.  Recent media reports reveal our airports are still vulnerable.  Plus we haven’t taken the threat of disasters seriously enough.

     The East Coast earthquake and hurricane two weeks ago showed us that we’re still unprepared for a major catastrophe.  Some towns were cut off for days.  Many were without electricity.  And they had no backup plan.

     It’s easy to think Japan was unprepared for the March earthquake and tsunami.  But after the August earthquake and hurricane, it doesn’t look like we’re much better prepared than Japan.

     How should we prepare?  Common sense precautions.  Water, flashlights and spare batteries. Stock up on non-perishable foods. But that presumes you survive the disaster. What if you don’t?

     “Now hold on just a minute,” you may say.  “Isn’t that a little morbid?”

     Perhaps.  But it also makes sense to think about it.  We all know people die in disasters.  We just don’t think it will be us.  But what if it is?  Will we be ready?

     That requires a spiritual preparation.  And that’s where Jesus’ advice helps us.

     In Jesus’ day, the Tower of Siloam in Jerusalem fell and killed 18 people.  It was a great tragedy.  The accepted wisdom was that people who died like that were probably greater sinners.

     But Jesus took a different approach.  He said those 18 were not greater sinners than other people in Jerusalem.  “I tell you, no!” he said. “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

     Instead of dismissing those that suffer disaster as evil or unlucky, we should be asking, “Why haven’t these disasters come upon us?”  Our problem is that we deny or ignore the evil in our own hearts.  It’s only when a great catastrophe happens that we wake up and seek God’s help.

     Right after 9/11 there was a great emphasis on safety measures.  But over the years we’ve been lulled into a false sense of security.  Once again we are unprepared for a disaster.

     The same is also true spiritually. After 9/11, churches and synagogues saw increased numbers of people turning to God.  But it wasn’t long before things returned to “normal.”  We forgot God.

     But it’s not too late.  We don’t have to remain unprepared. 

     The Bible says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.  Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”  Good advice for significant times.

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!