Not Forgetting Our Motto
In remembrance of the September 11th, 2001, attack on our nation, I would like to share with you what I wrote to the high school youth I worked with at that time.
INNER QUEST #62 FIND THE COST OF FREEDOM Sept. 18, 2001
My dear friends,
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you did for the congregation this past Sunday. When you were asked to join the choir for the singing of the introit, you honored that request and in doing so, showed the congregation what it needed most, in this time morning and uncertainty. UNITY!
When you sang together with the choir, you brought with you many different schools, different families, different heritages, different ages and eras, and became as one voice. United in song, united in patriotism and united in God. It is that type of unity that is the backbone of our country.
There are too many ways in which to share my thoughts with you this week. Right now, I cannot find the right words to express what I am feeling, so I will try to keep it simple.
God gave us freedom. God gave us freedom to think for ourselves and to chose how we live. God also gave us laws to go by so that we know where right and wrong are separated. Our country is based on that freedom and those laws. We are not perfect, but we must defend that freedom from those who try to take it away. And we will defend other nations that have their freedom threatened. That is what God calls us to do, to help each other
Last night the David Letterman Show returned to the airwaves from New York City. This is a show that many people rely on for laughs. Monday night, the laughs were missing.
CBS News anchor Dan Rather was Dave’s guest. Dan said that after last weeks attack, singing “America The Beautiful” would never be the same to him, and then started to cry. As Dan felt the embarrassment of not holding his composure, David looked at him and said, “Good Christ! You are only human!”
Yes, we are only human and we have the right to cry, the right to laugh, the right to be mad, the right to enjoy peace and we have the right to defend our freedom when it is threatened.
Those rights and our freedom, not just as a nation, but as a global family, have now been threatened. How we respond will be dependant on the strength of our unity. Put faith in our leaders and pray for them. Ask God for guidance, understanding and strength.
No challenge is without sacrifice and that will be hard to handle at times. If the 300 firemen
that lost their lives were given a second chance I believe they would have gone right back in there. Back there to help those get their freedom back.
“Find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground.
Mother earth will swallow you, lay your body down.”
-Steven Stills (Crosby, Stills and Nash)
Your friend and defender, John
There are those outside our boarders and inside our boarders who will stop at nothing to destroy this nation. They seek to dismantle us bit by bit; socially, morally, economically, physically and spiritually. We must not forget why this country was formed and we must fight hard on every level if we are to survive. This is a pivotal year in our nation’s history, so, what’s it going to be? Divide and conquer? That seems to be the intent over the past years on how we are acting towards each other. That will only lead to the end of one great nation.
If we are to be ONE nation, then we must be like the band at the end the movie, “Drumline”. There was a lot of dissention in their ranks, but when faced with elimination they finally understood the meaning of their motto, “One band! One sound!”
What’s our motto going to be?
In remembrance of the September 11th, 2001, attack on our nation, I would like to share with you what I wrote to the high school youth I worked with at that time.
INNER QUEST #62 FIND THE COST OF FREEDOM Sept. 18, 2001
My dear friends,
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you did for the congregation this past Sunday. When you were asked to join the choir for the singing of the introit, you honored that request and in doing so, showed the congregation what it needed most, in this time morning and uncertainty. UNITY!
When you sang together with the choir, you brought with you many different schools, different families, different heritages, different ages and eras, and became as one voice. United in song, united in patriotism and united in God. It is that type of unity that is the backbone of our country.
There are too many ways in which to share my thoughts with you this week. Right now, I cannot find the right words to express what I am feeling, so I will try to keep it simple.
God gave us freedom. God gave us freedom to think for ourselves and to chose how we live. God also gave us laws to go by so that we know where right and wrong are separated. Our country is based on that freedom and those laws. We are not perfect, but we must defend that freedom from those who try to take it away. And we will defend other nations that have their freedom threatened. That is what God calls us to do, to help each other
Last night the David Letterman Show returned to the airwaves from New York City. This is a show that many people rely on for laughs. Monday night, the laughs were missing.
CBS News anchor Dan Rather was Dave’s guest. Dan said that after last weeks attack, singing “America The Beautiful” would never be the same to him, and then started to cry. As Dan felt the embarrassment of not holding his composure, David looked at him and said, “Good Christ! You are only human!”
Yes, we are only human and we have the right to cry, the right to laugh, the right to be mad, the right to enjoy peace and we have the right to defend our freedom when it is threatened.
Those rights and our freedom, not just as a nation, but as a global family, have now been threatened. How we respond will be dependant on the strength of our unity. Put faith in our leaders and pray for them. Ask God for guidance, understanding and strength.
No challenge is without sacrifice and that will be hard to handle at times. If the 300 firemen
that lost their lives were given a second chance I believe they would have gone right back in there. Back there to help those get their freedom back.
“Find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground.
Mother earth will swallow you, lay your body down.”
-Steven Stills (Crosby, Stills and Nash)
Your friend and defender, John
There are those outside our boarders and inside our boarders who will stop at nothing to destroy this nation. They seek to dismantle us bit by bit; socially, morally, economically, physically and spiritually. We must not forget why this country was formed and we must fight hard on every level if we are to survive. This is a pivotal year in our nation’s history, so, what’s it going to be? Divide and conquer? That seems to be the intent over the past years on how we are acting towards each other. That will only lead to the end of one great nation.
If we are to be ONE nation, then we must be like the band at the end the movie, “Drumline”. There was a lot of dissention in their ranks, but when faced with elimination they finally understood the meaning of their motto, “One band! One sound!”
What’s our motto going to be?
posted by John | Thursday, September 11, 2008
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