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We cannot guarantee that we can always quell terrorism. Unchecked hatred finds ways to impose itself on our world. However, if we fight the spiritual battle of the human heart by seeking God, His way, and loving his creatures, light may emerge from Ground Zero. Maybe the legacy of 9/11/01 will be that something else other than sin is alive and well on Planet Earth. Maybe we will find that faith, hope, and love can overcome even the most vile of acts of hatred.

Darrell L. Bock is research professor of New Testament Studies and professor of spiritual development and culture at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Two days after the attacks, Christianity Today posted another article by Bock, "When Sin Reigns | An event like this shows us what humans are capable of becoming—both as children of darkness and of light."

Other articles posted this week in commemoration of September 11 include:

Beyond Broken Beams | A chaplain at Ground Zero talks about his role in "a bigger story being told by a creator who deals in restoration." (September 12, 2002)

Deliverance on the 81st Floor | On 9/11, Stanley Praimnath and Sujo John called out to God from inside the World Trade Center. (September 11, 2002)

Transcending Security | The rightful fear of anthrax is not the beginning of wisdom. (September 11, 2002)

Speaking Out: Ten Things We Should Have Learned Since September 11, 2001 | We can't turn a blind eye to Islam, evangelism, heroism, and our Christian calling. (September 10, 2002)

Afghanistan Before September 11 | A Christian relief worker talks about the terror inside the war-ravaged country and his prayers for change. (September 10, 2002)

Christianity Today essays after September 11 included:

Wake-up Call | If September 11 was a divine warning, it's God's people who are being warned. (Nov. 5, 2001)

Judgment Day | God promised that calamity would follow disobedience. So why are we quick to dismiss it as a reason for the September 11 attacks? (Sept. 25, 2001)

Now What? | A Christian response to religious terrorism. (Sept. 21, 2001)

To Embrace the Enemy | Is reconciliation possible in the wake of such evil? (Sept. 21, 2001)

After the Grave in the Air | True reconciliation comes not by ignoring justice nor by putting justice first, but by unconditional embrace. (Sept. 21, 2001)

Books & Culture Corner: The Imagination of Disaster | "We thought we were invulnerable." Really? (Sept. 17, 2001)

Taking It Personally | What do we do with all this anger? (Sept. 14, 2001)

When Sin Reigns | An event like this shows us what humans are capable of becoming—both as children of darkness and of light. (Sept. 13, 2001)

Christianity Today dispatches from New York City included:

Blood, Sweat, and Prayers | One man's journal of ministry among New York City's firefighters and police officers at Ground Zero. (Nov. 12, 2001)

Day of Terror, Day of Grace | In the wake of fatal attacks killing thousands, Christians steer America toward prayer, service, and reconciliation. (Sept. 25, 2001)

Where I Minister, Grace Abounds Over Sin | At Ground Zero, a New York pastor becomes a symbol that God is present and available. (Sept. 24, 2001)

The End of the World (Trade Center) | Dispatches from out of the dust. (Sept. 19, 2001)

'Is That Thunder?' | With metal cracking at the World Trade Center, New York pastors cry out to God. (Sept. 14, 2001)

In the Belly of the Beast | Christians, calling terrorist attack "satanically brilliant," minister at epicenter of World Trade disaster. (Sept. 12, 2001)

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September (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46