Jeremiah speaks of the desolation as being the result of God's 'fierce anger.' C.H. Spurgeon speaks of disaster as "A judgment that has a voice to us". If the events of recent days are looked upon as 'having a voice to us', what may that voice be saying?

One thing I hear is this. That what we believe really matters. Within recent Western thought there has been a re-occurring theme of "Believe what you like… or don't believe in anything… just as long as we all get along." It's time we woke up. It matters what we believe. Why?

Because there are those in this world who believe that to give their lives by flying plane loads of civilians into buildings full of thousands of everyday working people is a justifiable action. "Go ahead and hate your neighbor …. Do it in the name of heaven. Justify it in the end".

The view of an Islamic Fundamentalist involved in a 'Jihad' (a holy war) is that if you give your life in a way that inflicts severe damage upon your satanic enemy, then you will be rewarded with a place in heaven that is a paradise of sensuous delights. Beyond any shadow of a doubt, God is on your side.

The majority of followers of Islam are not extremists. Most believers in the Islamic faith, just as those of the Jewish and Hindu and Buddhist faiths, are as equally horrified and appalled and condemning of what has happened. For myself one of the most moving images of the coverage of the current tragedy was a tableau of photographs that showed people around the world united in grief.

We stand together. Palestinians, both Christian and Muslim are praying for us. Russians are praying for us. Hindu's in India are observing silence. At the Vatican a candlelight vigil for the victims is being maintained. In Great Britain they have witnessed the American National Anthem being played by the Queens Guards. I have received e-mails from my homelands expressing solidarity and offering prayer.

There were many foreign nationals in the World Trade building when the terrorists hit. 200 British folk remain unaccounted for. Many nations, European, African, Asian suffered similar losses. This has not simply been an attack on the United States but on the Free World. And many in the world have united in contemplative and prayerful response.

I think of the last line of 'One Tin Soldier'; "Now they stood beside the treasure on the mountain, dark and red. Turned the stone and looked beneath it, 'Peace on earth' was all it said." Peace on earth. A peace that is shattered through acts of violence and greed and terrorism. A peace that we pray for and hope for and work for.

What we believe really matters. I think again of Spurgeon as he preaches "that this dread calamity may be to us both the means of our salvation and the means of stirring us up more earnestly to seek the salvation of our fellow men."

One person who would wholeheartedly shout 'Amen' to that was Saul, later to become St Paul the apostle. Our second lectionary passage came from his letter to Timothy.

This is how he views his life prior to his conversion. "I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief…. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the foremost."

From the Book of Acts we know Paul's story, of how he changed from somebody who would happily wipe out Christians from the face of earth to becoming the architect and theologian of a church that spread like wildfire throughout the Mediterranean world.

There is hope in Jesus Christ! God remains in the business of turning crosses into resurrections. The love of God can still turn things around. Jesus turned Saul's life around. We must pray for our enemies that, as the early church prayed for those who persecuted the early church, that God will turn them around.

We must pray for the victims of violence. For the shattered families and communities. For those who lost their lives seeking to save others. For those who are working in the hospitals and recovery services. For those who will counsel and seek to heal the emotional scars. For the church as she witnesses to the cross.

It is at the Cross we see God totally identifying with our desolation. It is at the Cross we see the cry of God's heart that we may be reconciled to one another and to God. It as at the Cross we see that death and violence and betrayal and loss of life are not the whole story. The Grace of God shall overcome.

We must pray for our leaders and leaders throughout the world. This is a decisive moment in world history. There is worldwide condemnation of terrorism. But how to respond to unseen enemies? How to reach the men of violence without hurting the innocent whom they are not afraid to use as their shield?

There are difficult days ahead. These are uncertain times. What we believe really matters. It will take faith and belief in Jesus Christ to get us through. We believe in a message the Grace of God, in the powerful love of Jesus Christ, whose cross stands with us in suffering and whose empty tomb points towards bright tomorrows. We believe in the ability of the Holy Spirit to impact lives and turn things around.
Kevin Mascaro, a Director for Campus Crusade for Christ writes; 'To respond to this tragedy, let me encourage you to a reaction you may not immediately feel or imagine, that of love and compassion.
More than ever I'm convinced we should be about spreading the peace of Christ to our neighbors, our communities, and our nation. The hope that we have in Christ is never more needed than in times of tragedy and turmoil like this.
I hope you will - as I have - resolve to respond to this tragedy by making every effort to win the hearts of men, women, and children to our Creator, Sustainer and Friend. More than ever before, America needs spiritual champions who can lift our sights above the pain and chaos to see our Holy God who desires a relationship with us."
Rev. Jack Rogers, Moderator of the PC (USA) 213th General Assembly, offers these words, with which I'll conclude.
"Let us together bear witness to our confidence in God's redemptive power, through the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us with renewed energy offer to our nation and to the world that word of hope and peace that we have received and boldly declare.
We pray for the innocent victims and their families. We pray also that those whose hearts are filled with hate might be turned away from evil. Help us not to speak or act rashly, not knowing by whom or why these awful deeds have been committed. Fill our hearts with compassion for those in need and strengthen our wills that we may do justly and love mercy and walk humbly before you.