The Church Will Never Be the Same Again!by Clifton Kirkpatrick, I have just returned from a three day pastoral visit to our churches in New York City Presbytery and the surrounding areas. They have lived through so much suffering in recent days and have also been so faithful in the ministry of Jesus Christ at a time of great need. The Apostle Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 12 that in the body of Christ we are to "rejoice with those who rejoice and suffer with those who suffer." Over these last few days I have had numerous opportunities to do both. I have suffered as when I heard of members of congregations who "never returned" from their jobs in the World Trade Center, of Presbyterians of Middle East origin who now live in fear, and of "survivors" who nevertheless cannot sleep because this tragedy is so real and so haunting to them. But in the midst of that incredible pain I have rejoiced at the faithful and sacrificial witness of so many Presbyterians in the New York Metropolitan area as they have, often at great personal sacrifice, been agents of the love of Christ in powerful ways. This is one of those times that I have given thanks to God that we are a part of a connectional church in which the ministry of New York City Presbytery is in some small way our ministry as well. It was said to me many times while I was in New York that after the disaster of September 11, 2001 the world will never be the same again. I do not believe the church will be either! The memory that kept coming back to me during these days was of an experience I had seven years ago when I visited Christians in the midst of another senseless disaster -- our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Presbyterian church of Sudan. I will never forget being with the people of South Sudan who were literally starving because of the famine, suffering from the death of loved ones who were victims of senseless violence, and who had little objective reason to hope that things would get better. What I remember most about that visit is not the suffering -- as horrible as that was -- but the remarkable faith and faithfulness of our Presbyterian partners in the Sudan. I will always remember one of the elders who, echoing Romans 8, told me, "We rejoice along with the Apostle Paul that nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ, our Lord." He said that surely God did not intend the evil that had afflicted the people of South Sudan, but just as clearly he knew that God was with them in their suffering and intended them to use even the evil situation for God's good purposes. And as many of you probably know, the Presbyterian Church of Sudan, as one of the fastest growing churches in the world, has done exactly that! That is exactly what I found in New York. Even in an incredibly evil situation, Presbyterians were busy working for God's good purposes. Indeed they believed -- and so do I -- that this crisis may be a major moment of new opportunity for the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
These realities are present not only in New York City but throughout our nation. They are God's call to us to be a "light to the nation" and a sign of the hope of the gospel in this troubling time. During this time of deep anxiety in our nation and the world, God may be giving us an opportunity as Presbyterians for what might indeed be our "finest hour." My hope and dream is that Presbyterians will not let their differences on far less important matters keep them from joining together to share the love of Christ in word and deed at this time in which there seems to be such a deep hunger for the ministry of the church. Presbyterians share a deep common faith (regardless of claims to the contrary) in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and as the Lord and Savior of the world. That is the central message of scripture, of our confessions, of our General Assembly, and of our 11,000 plus congregations. It is also the message which the world needs so desperately in this time of fear, uncertainty and violence.
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