What a difference 47 hours make.

I sat here in this same place . . . early on Tuesday morning, September 1, studying and writing and enjoying the Lord. The day was sunny, fresh and utterly hopeful. As I finished my quiet time, I decided to treat myself to a coffee and USA Today.

It was on the way to the coffee - in the car - that I turned on the radio and heard the unbelievable news about New York, then Washington, and then Pennsylvania. (Only later did I discover that the plane that went down in Pa. had flown over (or nearly over) our heads in Canton and Stark County on its way to a dreadful crash.

This morning is different.

It is once again sunny, fresh and filled with hope because of Christ. But we aren't the same. Our children aren't either. They ask questions they never before thought of, until Tuesday morning.

And as we search for help, the Lord meets us. He loves us and teaches us and confronts us with sense in the midst of the senseless.

Through his word,
by his Spirit,
because of Jesus
we know:

- that evil is terribly real and it comes from an unregenerate heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." Apart from the forgiving, redeeming work of Christ, we humans are capable of heinous crimes against one another and against the Lord. The difference between the hijackers and us is the grace of God we know in Jesus Christ, a grace that changes our hearts and brings light in our wickedness and darkness. Neither Mohammed nor any other religious teacher can transform our hearts (our control centers) and make us God's children. Only Christ can. (John 17: 22-23; 2 Cor. 3: 18).

- that justice is not the same as revenge. God calls us to administer justice and restrain evil people from perpetrating evil. But he alone will settle accounts. (Rom. 12:19-21) When we take revenge, we damage our hearts and defile our witness, in seeking to get even with people whose hearts and actions are evil.

- that love for enemies is Christ's call. Luke 6: 27-28 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." A Christ-follower, therefore, responds differently to an enemy than does a non-Christ follower. But it is only possible through his power. Left to our own devices, we could dance in the streets at news of dead enemies. Left to our own prejudices, we could easily brand an entire group of people "vermin" because some of their lunatic fringe acted out their lunacy. Without Christ's love at work in us, we slide into the pit of hatred that motivated the heinous crimes of Tuesday morning. By his resurrection power, we are lifted to a radically new life of love and service.

- that safety cannot come, ultimately, from human strength. The Psalmist said, "No king is saved by size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength." (Ps. 33: 16) The Lord's word to us is that we are long-term, deep-down safe only when we belong to him and live in him: "I am the gate," said Jesus, "whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture." (John 10: 9)

- that mercy flows out of those who follow Jesus. He is the one who declared, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (Matt. 5: 7) Most of the New Testament is written by a man who found mercy with God, after a despicable career of persecuting Christians. Mercy saves us, heals us and makes us merciful. That's why Jesus came to die for us. That must be why he calls us to "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6: 36)

- that the words of men must always be measured by the word of God. We can speak - more likely blurt - out of extreme emotions like anger and grief and shock. Our Lord speaks truth that comes from his perfect and holy character. Our words fade like the flowers of fall; his word stands forever. As Jesus promised, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Matt. 24: 35)