Adventists Worldwide Respond to
Attack on America

How do Christians deal with tragedy? What should be our response to inexplicable acts of evil? Where was God when terrorists struck down thousands of innocent people in the United States on Tuesday, September 11?

In the days following the tragedy, Seventh-day Adventist churches hosted vigils attended by members and the community alike. Seventh-day Adventists also participated in services hosted by other churches in their communities.

On Sabbath, or Saturday, September 15, in Seventh-day Adventist churches around the world, from Egypt to Australia, Lebanon to the United States, congregations came together to reflect, to pray, and to reaffirm their trust in a God who promises ultimate security.

The following are excerpts from sermons preached by Adventist pastors at these vigils and this past Sabbath.

Janice Wright, Adventist Metro Ministries, New York.
Preaching at an interfaith service sponsored by the Council of Churches of the City of New York. It was held on Thursday, Sept. 13, at Abysinian Baptist Church in Harlem.

Those speaking and offering a prayer, each for five to 15 minutes, were clergy (including bishops, other leaders) of various faiths, including Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Muslim, Jewish and Seventh-day Adventist.

"The three great varities in God's universe are love, freedom and justice.

And we are here, worshiping together, to show the world we believe and hold on to those truths.

We love one another because in our God's universe there is no East or West, North or South, we are one in Him. The enemy may try to create divisiveness, because that has always been his method. He may try to destroy, but our God is greater."

Ruy Nagel
President, South American Division

Preaching at the church headquarters morning worship, Brasilia, Brazil. "Now is the time to preach and witness. It is clear that this is not time for alarm. We live in a time in which each day dawns the same. But we never know how the day is going to end. Therefore, we should plan how to do the will of god and fulfill our mission of preaching the gospel."

Peter Bath
Pastor, Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church,
Takoma Park, Maryland

"The acts of Tuesday demonstrate unequivocally that evil is real. Tuesday has provided to this generation a rare moment of moral clarity and certitude. Tuesday's actions of terror will mute the 'whatever'generation. You cannot look at the people clinging to the windows in the world trade center and say, 'whatever.' You can't hear of the terror in the skies and say, 'whatever.' You can't go to the firemen that father Ramos spoke to us about Wednesday night—his good friend in New York—he just learned that he died in the collapse of the buildings, and left 10 children fatherless. You can't go to them, 'whatever' generation, and say, 'whatever.' If you are alive, if you have any shred of moral integrity, the last word you can utter in the face of this travesty is, 'whatever.'

This is a call to moral integrity. To the Christian church to realize that righteous indignation is indeed part of what we must have, if we are indeed to be keepers of our Father's world, to make it safe, to help people have comfort and dignity, to help people avoid acts of terrorism out of desperation, but to give them decent lives and to help them grow and to help them have value and purpose. We are called to be stewards of the entire world, not just those who walk like us, talk like us, look like us and think like us. We have to help the stranger. We have to reach out in God's name to all."

Murray Chapman
Pastor - College Park Church, Beirut, Lebanon

"We ask: 'How shall we then live?'as Apostle Paul said, 'we live by faith, not by sight.' We [are called] to integrity of life and challenged to build and not destroy in our attitudes, words and actions."

Mark Finley, Evangelist
Speaker for It Is Written Television Ministry
Sermon preached in Atlanta, Georgia

"This enormous tragedy points us to a day when god himself will usher in eternal peace. This tragedy is not the last chapter. It is not the last act of the drama. It is not the final word. God will have the final word. He will come as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and God over all. For that we can praise him through the tears of our tragedy."

Peter Zarka
President, Egypt Field
Preaching in Cairo, Heliopolis Church

"Clearly we are in the end time after this attack on humanity last Tuesday. The world started to change rapidly. You can not know what is going to happen today or tomorrow. We are called by God to be faithful right now if we want to remain standing at the end of the day or tomorrow."

Israel Leito
President of the Inter-American Division
Sermon at Kendall Spanish Seventh Day Adventist Church, Miami, Florida

"As a nation, we have a God in whom to trust. It is very important that we, as God's people, keep an ardent faith and not allow human emotions to influence our behavior and actions outside of the beliefs and conduct instilled and taught by our commander and chief, Jesus Christ. Let's take the shield and armor of our faith".

Ioannis Giantzaklidis
Pastor - Nicosia Church, Cyprus

"Brothers and sisters, I challenge you to make the Lord your light, your salvation, the strength of your life. No matter what situation you find yourself in, you will not fear. No matter how difficult appear the problems you will find that when the Lord is your light, your salvation, the strength of your life, really there’s no need to fear."

Pastor Tadaomi Shinmyo
Communication Director, Northern Asia-Pacific Division
Preaching at the Seoul Japanese Language Church, Korea

"Although guns or knives can kill people, they cannot change people. However, the Word of God can change people. The terrorists could kill the people, but they could not change the people. Violence is not God's will.

Let us pray for political leaders in the world so that they may follow God's will and His plan."

Pastor Wayne Krause
Chaplain, Sanitarium Health Food Company, Berkeley Vale, Australia