December 31, 2001

EDITORIAL:
May the fire of suffering refine the promise of hope
___We will remember 2001.
___At the very least, we'll always remember one morning of this past year. Sept. 11, 2001, burned itself into our memories. Fear and pain and shock and anger and awful sadness and terrible immediacy borne by television seared our synapses so that we cannot dislodge those images of terror. For as long as you live, you will recall where you were and what you were doing when you heard the first news of that infamous day.
___Close your eyes, and images remain. You can see that airplane slicing into the World Trade Center. Those magnificent skyscrapers descending into dust and smoke come to mind. Next, a yawning hole in the Pentagon, and a scorched meadow in Pennsylvania. Then a picture of an anthrax-laced envelope appears, followed in close order by phantom-suited workers sanitizing a Senate office building. Next is a montage of Osama bin Ladens, shooting an AK-47, sitting cross-legged on a pallet, staring into a video camera. Don't forget mental pictures of bombs falling on Afghanistan, cheering Afghanis saluting the liberation of Kabul, huddled and starving refugees, jeering Islamist fanatics and diagrams of how "smart" bombs work. And, of course, you can't forget other heart-breaking images, such as the giant flag hanging from the Pentagon, firefighters erecting the semi-molten cross at Ground Zero, Billy Graham preaching at the National Cathedral, tearful relatives at funerals too numerous to mention and Old Glory waving in breezes from Bangor, Maine, to Bakersfield, Calif., from Palm Springs to Portland and all across Texas.
___These are the common images. They represent the corporate grief and loss we shared in the year just past. We suffered on a smaller scale, too. Count yourself blessed if you did not grieve the death of a loved one in 2001. You were most fortunate if you did not receive or share news of catastrophic illness, loss of job, dissolution of marriage, destruction of friendship, disappointment in self, and on through the catalog of personal misery. In any given year, almost everyone feels in some way the tragedy of life's misfortune.
___But we feel it all more acutely this week that bends from 2001 into 2002. Terrorists' evil intentions, completed Sept. 11, took care of that. So, 2001 will stand out in our memory.
___But have you considered we might be stronger spiritually, personally ennobled by the tragedy we have experienced this past year? From God's perspective, 2002 may become a year when we reap holy crops irrigated by tears.
___Writing in The Christian Century magazine, church historian Martin Marty offered wisdom from 16th century reformer Martin Luther. Without trials, "man (and woman) can neither know Scripture and faith, nor can he fear and love God," Luther observed. "If he has never suffered, he cannot understand what hope is."
___With few exceptions, "rookies"--whether they perform in sports, business, politics or church visitation--do not excel to the degree of veterans. They lack the wisdom and expertise, obtained only through trial and real-world experience, that sharpens their God-given abilities and forges their resolve and will.
___We gained experience in 2001. Think back. How many times did you say, think, read or hear, "Why do they hate us so much?" Americans in general and Christians in particular learned something about the world of Islamist extremists. We also re-learned old lessons about courage in the face of danger, about ultimate value in the face of material wealth, about the importance of faith in God in the face of nebulous "spirituality." The Bible, particularly passages from the Psalms and Gospels, spoke to us in fresh language this past autumn. The words were the same, but we heard with refreshed ears.
___Reminded of our mortality, we saw again the omnipotence of God. Reacquainted with our finitude, we explored again God's boundless presence. And left peering into the carnage of Ground Zero, we glimpsed the frailty of man-made fortresses--buildings, banks, bombs.
___"If he has never suffered, he cannot understand what hope is." Now, more than before, we understand what Luther meant. We know hope.
___When 2001 began, we were a nation of wishers, not hopers. Wishing is flimsy, built on desire that centers on self. I may wish for a fancy sports car or my favorite dessert. Someone may wish to quit smoking in the new year, another to lose weight, another even to spend more time with her children. Wishing isn't all bad; it's just not best.
___Hope is faith grounded in God. It is patient (though not passive) expectation of God's involvement in this world. Hope perseveres, even when God sounds silent. Hope persists even when faithlessness gives up. Hope channels its desire on God's will, seeking God's answer for all life offers. Hope turns outward. Hope is generous. Hope sees the hand of God even in the darkest hour. Hope hears the whisper of God when all others hear sirens and explosions. Hope believes God has plans, desires and aspirations and seeks to synchronize the self according to God's purposes. Hope refuses to settle for easy answers and quick fixes but sets its heart on ultimate value.
___To be sure, many who rushed to church following Sept. 11 have returned to "normal," apart from the daily designs of God. But let us not waste our suffering of 2001. Let us move into 2002 with hearts turned outward, embracing God, accepting God's will, living in hope--whatever the new year brings.
___ —Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com


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