War on Terror

Our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are said to be part of our "war on terror." I got to thinking ... how does one fight a "war on terror"? Now, I know ... it's not actually a war on terror. Terror is not a thing. You can't tell it to put up its dukes and go blow for blow to knock it out. I know that our "war on terror" is, more accurately, a "war on terrorists". Okay, fine. I'm still wondering about a "war on terror".

The recent event at Virginia Tech is having a ripple effect. Of course they've set up counseling for the students there. But they've also set up counseling for those affected by it here at ASU. Who was affected? It's hard to say. But these kinds of things have their effect. Parents of high school kids are now wondering, "How do I pick a safe college for my kids to go to?" School-age kids are wondering, "It happened there; am I actually safe here?" These kinds of events tend to ripple out their waves of terror, whether or not it was an "act of terrorism".

Indeed, we live in a frightening world. In the year 2000, the CDC reported 4.5 million traffic-related injuries. Breaking that down, you get 380,250 per month, 87,750 per week, 12,501 per day, 520 per hour, 8 per minute. Eight traffic injuries per minute in the United States. In 2001, the CDC reported 42,443 traffic-related fatalities. That's 3,536 per month, 816 per week, 116 per day, 4 per hour. Four people in any given hour die on American roads. Throw in health conditions like heart disease and diabetes, household accidents, crime, and "acts of God", and we live in a terrifying world, surrounded on all sides by the very real possibility that any one of us could die or be injured at any moment.

How do we fight this kind of terror? What can we do to deal with the very common feelings of fear that strike many of us when we hear that some college kid let loose with firearms and killed a bunch of people? How do we fight a war on that terror?

I am greatly comforted in times of deep concern with the words from Isaiah: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isa 26:3). How many times do we hear in Scripture that God is "my Rock and my Salvation"? Two linked together. You see, "salvation" isn't always "saved from the wrath of God". Often it is "saved from calamity, from those who would harm me, from difficult circumstances, from harm." And while "saved from the wrath of God" is excellent, it is also good to remember that each and every breath we take is by the grace and mercy of God. It is good for us in our "war on terror" -- that terror within us that often surfaces in difficult times -- to remember to "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7). Take precautions. Drive defensively. Be safe. But above anything else, let your mind be stayed on Him, trusting Him, because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).