Sept. 11, 2011

The Tower of Siloam.

The fate of the Towers.

Reflecting together.

A friend came and said hello to me yesterday. His profession: economist and journalist.

We discussed Sept. 11, 2001, and the 3,000 victims of the tragedy. He said, “One death is too many.” I said, “One Iraqi, a single Afghan death, it is already too much.”

My feelings about the future of the human race are fundamentally pessimistic. The feelings of my friend are cautiously optimistic. For him, as for me, immanent justice is our benchmark. This was reaffirmed this morning, while having lunch with my colleague Irénée, who said, “Justice must be done on Earth.”

This allows me to explore the views of Jesus in relation to the attack on Sept. 11, 2001. The Gospel of Saint Luke 13:4-5 is timely; listen:

1. Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

2. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?

3. I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

4. Or those 18 who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them — do you think they were guiltier than all the others living in Jerusalem?

5. I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

That sounds radical, doesn’t it? I found the following on Bibliquest. I quote from them with gratitude:

Those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them — do you think they were guiltier than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you too shall all perish!

According to Jesus, the cause of the collapse is not indicated. Jesus’ first words do not seek to identify the guilty person or those responsible for the collapse of the tower. Nor do they take steps to ensure that it does not happen again — that would not be wrong in itself, but the most urgent need is not there.

Jesus’ words have a purpose: to give a warning so that everyone takes account of this disaster and turns to God in confession of sin and repentance to find salvation. … It was not the work of foreign terrorists in the country, but it was a terrorist act of the governor seeking to win by using terror. Again, Jesus seeks to awaken the conscience of souls in order to bring them salvation through repentance.” (A practical continuing conversion)

Is New York/Manhattan the completion of the fall of Babylon? The Twin Towers erected on a sandy rock and/or the solid foundations crumbling from the top down! Strange! (Matthew 7:24-29)

My conclusion: “The axis of good and evil” is in you and me, Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair, the governors of rogue states staying in Texas as in London, and beyond the borders of your former colonies and empires. Remember how many millions of people gathered together shouting, “Peace, not war!”

Immanent justice is inherent in our human nature; in the heads of empires, in our own questioning and our quest for a world consistent with the testimonies of Jesus Christ.