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The Pastor's Place. For Pastors and their families.Citizenship or September 11 One Year Later
by Linda Mae Baldwin (Linda's bio)
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The one-year anniversary of the worst attack ever inflicted on the United States of America, (outside of Pearl Harbor) is a few weeks away. Last year I watched the horrific events as a resident alien of the United States. This year, I remember the act of war, as an American citizen.
I have lived in, and paid taxes to, the United States for twenty-four years. It was not a matter of not wanting to apply for American citizenship, but a sort of apathetic, what does it matter, attitude that kept me from it. You have seen that attitude too. Not just in pre-Twin tower attack citizens, but in your pews. Your people. Your family and perhaps, yourself.
Apathy, passivity, 'whatever', someone else will do it….the words are familiar, but the meanings may have been lost in their common usage. For a quick review, I checked www.merriam-webster.com and this is what I found. (Edits are mine),
Apathy: Main Entry: apathy Pronunciation: 'a-p&-thE Function: noun
Etymology: Greek apatheia, from apathEs without feeling, from a- + pathos emotion Date: 1603
1 : lack of feeling or emotion : lack of interest or concern
Passive Main Entry: 1pas·sive Pronunciation: 'pa-siv Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin passivus, from passus, past participle Date: 14th century 1) : lacking in energy or will (2) : tending not to take an active or dominant part
2 a : not active or operating 3 a : receiving or enduring without resistance
Then, because I love words and believe they actually do mean something, I looked in the thesaurus for words that mean the same as apathy/and words meaning the opposite::
apathy 1 lack of emotional responsiveness <hid her sorrow behind a dull brooding apathy>Synonyms impassivity, insensibility, phlegm, stoicism, stolidity, unresponsiveness Antonyms zeal; enthusiasm2 lack of interest or concern <public apathy toward the school crisis>Synonyms disinterest, disregard, heedlessness, indifference, insouciance, lassitude, lethargy, listlessness, unconcern, unmindfulness Related Word callousness, hardness, insensitivity, obduracy, unawareness; coldness, halfheartedness, lukewarmness; calmness, dispassion, dispassionateness Contrasted Words attentiveness, concern, heedfulness, interest; awareness, mindfulness, sensitivity, solicitude; ardency, fervency, passion, warmth, zeal
What was the last thing you did where you could have been accused of being zealous? Heedful? Fervent or interested? The last time you looked to the congregation, your family, or in the mirror, and saw a spark, life, and light looking back? Too long?
It was this way for me becoming an American. Citizenship did not really matter, commitment wasn't necessary, I already received the benefits of living here (sans the right to vote) and paid my taxes, and grumbled about politics, but becoming a citizen meant money and time. I wasn't willing to invest either, until the attack.
September 11, my husband called to tell me to turn on the news, and I watched, for the first of many times, the plane bombs crashing into the majestic towers. A new sense of commitment, loyalty, faithfulness and pride in this country where I made my home. I was angry, scared, and indignant. How dare anyone attack the land I love? The land where so many freedoms are allowed? My heart swelled as God Bless America repeatedly played. Because I have close ties to the United States Marine Corps, I began to pray for those who would be sent to fight. But there was something missing. When someone close to us voiced her disdain for the war, and suggested a very weak alternative, and I realized she could vote and actually have a voice, yet I could not, well, I knew what I had to do. And, I sent in the forms to become an American citizen.
July 15th, 2002 in a room of about fifty other new citizens, I proudly took the oath. In Matthew 17:24-27, Romans 13-18, Acts 22:25-28, Revelation 21:25-27, we are told be involved in our government. I plan to participate in the political system, to give my time and energy to keep America the great land of God fearing liberty it is.
A renewed commitment, a fresh start may be all that is missing in your life. Will it take an act of war to get your church zealous? To ignite passion in your family? To shake you out of that preaching rut? Every minute of every day, we are in a war, a spiritual war. Every time a soul slips away or a witnessing opportunity is not acted on, we have submitted to that act of war.
We are told in the Bible we are strangers and aliens and not to be of this world, 1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
If you are a believer, a born again Christian, you have secured citizenship in the most important place of all, the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:25-17)
A war's soldiers should be committed, strong, and understanding of why they fight. Are you? Does your church understand?
I challenge you to consider some of the 'Acts of War' we as Christians daily encounter. It happens even here in the United States: The suit to remove 'Under God,” from our pledge, the banishment of prayer from any public function, the watering down of the meaning of phrases like God Bless America, the initiative to stop Homeschooling, the revocation of first amendment rights to protest in a public place, abortion, well, you get the idea. So, I encourage you and ask you pass it on, to be informed, strong, and fight the good fight. Don't let Satan's lies deter you, don't let apathy take root. Do not be complacent any longer. Be willing to take action, because sometimes talk is not enough.
Be of good faith. And, proud of your citizenship, here on earth, but especially your real home, and final destination, heaven.
AMERICA Linda Mae Baldwin 2001
I wish I were born an American
and lived in the land of the brave and the free.
For America is not towers or cities,
she is a thing called Liberty
Born from religious hostility
Liberty reached her shores
And struggled into what we know today
As the very soul of the USA
Red for blood that flowed
Fighting to keep it free
White for the new nation's desire for its citizen's liberty
Blue for heaven, loyalty, and faith for what was yet to be
She was not perfect by any means
But she was Liberty.
The world looks on
As she grows and bends,
Through troubled times
She always mends.
When times get bad, it's not too rare
To find an American who gives up their share.
I wish I were an American
Yet my heart still swells as she sings,
The Star Spangled Banner rings in my heart
The tears in my eyes start to sting.
America, America
How united you stand today,
They tried to tear your heart out
But your soul got in the way.
You may take buildings
You may take lives,
For hatred and fear in you is strong.
Be prepared, when America wins,
And she sings her victory song.
She'll fight the enemy, fight the wrong
That was done to her today,
Liberty, freedom, and justice – You can't take that away.
Copyright 2002, Linda Mae Baldwin. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
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About Linda Mae Baldwin: Linda Mae Baldwin has ministered in churches in various capacities since 1983, when her husband answered the call to the Pastorate. The author of various plays, inspirational readings, and short stories, she currently also writes reviews for the iUniverse.com CWWC site. Although no longer in vocational ministry, Linda Mae's heart is to minister to pastors, their wives and children. E-mail Linda Mae |
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