THE REVELATION OF OUR OWN MORTALITY....Where does it lead us?

written by Michelle Gold, 9-11-2012
Based on 1 Peter 1:24 and 25

“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.

When people have a revelation of their own mortality, we begin to seek more deeply those things which are eternal…something more lasting and more meaningful.
This morning, the early morning news showed the twin towers going up in smoke. I was there that day. Well not there in the buildings but just 30 blocks away in New York City. I was at my singing lesson and then scurrying thru the streets over to Joe's office to see if he was safe. He was.

But Joe and I felt an enormous hole in our hearts that day as if smoke went up in our hearts. We watched something GLORIOUS & seemingly unmovable and unshakable - the twin towers, go up into flames and smoke. We saw friends and friends of friends leave this life in moments. We felt heavenly tears falling from the sky.
It was the evil of this world, it was one of the greatest tragedies I had ever seen.

Joe and I offered blood at the hospital but were turned away so instead we hit the streets to talk to strangers about the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, who sent the Messiah to die for us so we could have everlasting life…the God who could bring comfort to their hearts. I felt like I wish I could have done much more but being in such shock, I wasn't sure what else to do at the time. I lost a very close friend and friends of friends.

Like the Titanic or much worse, something glorious, something seemingly unshakable WENT DOWN.

The message of hope and healing today?

1. Let us mourn with those who mourn and pray deeply for the families who lost loved ones. This is what the Lord Himself has asked of us. If you lost someone, please know I and praying deeply for you today and mourn with you.

2. Let us be wholeheartedly drawn to a loving relationship with our Heavenly Father as a child runs into his/her daddy's arms. Recoginzing our own mortality will lead us to reach for God who longs to be the lover of our soul. When buildings fall, when loved ones are lost and gone, when hurts run too deep to put into words, we have a powerful love pouring down from the heavenliness which does not fail us. In addition to love, we have the promise of a far greater life than this when we die- a perfect life where there are no more tears and no more suffering. (John 14:6 and the Book of Revelation, chapter 21)

3. Let us become people of healing ACTION. In Hebrew and in the Jewish tradition, we say "Tikkun Olam"- referring to our unquestionable responsibility to repair the world. A pastor friend of mine reminded me of the story of the little boy in the Bible who had very little to give…his measly lunch!!! But the Lord was able to multiply it and feed the multitudes.

With the little that we have to give; a kind word, a loving tone, an unexpected gift, a heartfelt loving prayer for a friend, a dinner invitation to a lonely soul, a song, dance or artistic work with a healing message, we can bring reparation to the world. Though it sounds idealistic, we must believe that it is not. We must believe that we can be a light for those who stand or sit in darkness.

MY PRAYERS BE WITH THE FAMILIES OF THOSE LOST IN 9-11