The date of September 11, 2001, is forever etched in my memory. Most of us can remember where we were and what we were doing when we learned the horrific news of planes slamming into the Pentagon and incinerating the World Trade Center Towers. Our church gathered to mourn and pray that evening, relying on word of mouth and landline phones to announce the service (this was before the days when everybody carried cell phones). Despite the minimal publicity, the sanctuary was nearly full. An overflow crowd met again the next evening. I centered my message on Psalm 46, which references mountains falling into the heart of the sea. Substitute falling skyscrapers for falling mountains and you get the connection. I titled it, “Life is Fragile, Evil is Real, God is Sure.” Crisis has a way of stripping off the veneer of our smiley-faced world. One day, we were rolling merrily along; the next instant, we were plunged into unimaginable trauma.
Life is Fragile! We sang Martin Luther’s 1529 hymn, “A Mighty Fortress.” Martin made pointed reference to an ancient foe who works woe and later alluded in his hymn to a world with devils filled. Hijacking planes to crash into buildings is a diabolical scheme of unspeakable evil.
Evil is Real! Psalm 46 predominates with the image of God as our refuge. The Psalm begins, “God is our refuge and strength.” Refuge is likened to a fortress to which we can flee in times of danger. Martin elaborated on the theme in the line, “a bulwark never failing.” A bulwark refers to the impenetrable walls of a fortress. The Psalm returns to the same theme at its close, “The God of Jacob is our refuge” (Ps. 46.7, 9). The Psalmist directs us, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46.10). If God is our refuge, we can cease and desist our frenetic activity. The operative theme is trust.
God is Sure! Martin lectured and wrote widely on the Psalms, urging people to utilize the Psalms for prayer. Psalm 46 leads us to pray: