Let Not Man Put Asunder

Ten years after the attacks of 9/11, I am typing on this blog from a well of splendid emotion. I have forced myself to watch the 10th anniversary specials on TV, so as not to succumb to apathy. But it is not the network news events that have moved me so deeply, but rather an experience yesterday that has nothing (and everything) to do with 9/11.

I spent my Saturday in a sanctuary in Fairfield, Ohio participating in a live Beth Moore simulcast. For those who don't know her, Beth Moore is an evangelical writer and speaker who has penned many marvelous Bible studies. Yesterday, she was speaking live from Lubbock, Texas. In typical Beth Moore fashion, she took a couple of verses from Luke and a couple of verses from Acts and turned them into a beautiful sermon about the life and example of Luke in his passion for the good news of Jesus.

The simulcast was organized in segments, with worship music and breaks built in between. While I always revel in a good message, I was particularly struck by these moments of worship. Beth Moore told us that nearly 200,000 people around the world were tuning into her simulcast at the same time, representing 48 states, 31 Canadian sites, and 11 countries. The impact of these numbers flowed over and through me as I witnessed hands and voices raised in worship to the one and only God of this world. At one point, I leaned over to my best friend, who had invited me, and said, "Wow...200,000 people doing this all around the country. Let the terrorists try to take this down."

The title for this blog post came to mind during worship at the simulcast yesterday. We are all familiar with the words in Matthew 19:6..."Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man put asunder." These words are used in marriage ceremonies to remind us of the importance of a relationship formed by God. I think it can also be applied to the church. God has joined us, the body of Christ, together in order to worship, to serve and to spread the news of Jesus Christ to the world. What we can all take away from the events of 9/11 is that while it's natural for us to grieve, to mourn, and to crave justice, the single most important thing in life is Christ. We are the body of Christ, and we cannot let man separate us from the love and call of our God - neither terrorists, nor each other.

Today and always, let's remember the message of another 9/11. Psalm 9:11 tells us, "Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done." Not what the terrorists have done, but what our wonderful, loving and merciful God has done. Jesus lives in each of us, if we allow Him to. Let that be how we honor this day and all the days the come.