Acts 28:11-16

Acts 28:11-16
English Standard Version (ESV)

  September 11 will forever be a strange day in our nation's history, a day filled with haunting memories of the tragedy that struck and wars launched as a result.  So many lives have been forever changed by the actions of a few that day, and we are surrounded by reminders of their hatred -- every time we go to the airport, our travels will never be the same.  The impact of hatred lingers on.
  What's dangerous is that we begin to live out of fear.  We see threats lurking behind every corner, so we hide, changing our lives to avoid the unknown, afraid and trying desperately to protect what we have.  We're afraid to reach out and encounter others, because we begin to see threats.
  God calls us to engage with the others, with the unknown.  God reminds us that we once were lost, strangers, foreigners in a strange land, and that through the work of God we have been reconciled and redeemed.  Not through out own work, remember, but through what God has done.  Our life is a gift, and our salvation cannot be taken from us.  So not only do we have no reason to fear, but also we have been given a gift, and we are to share the amazing news of that gift, in the hopes that others might come to know the giver as well.
  So we should not fear, but rather trust -- the God who has brought us this far, buying us with a price, will continue to carry us home.