9/11 Remembered

By Wayne Pederson
Special to ASSIST News Service


COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (ANS) -- Where were you on September 11, 2001? On that 9/11, I was involved in a meeting of National Religious Broadcasters in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Erwin Lutzer was keynote speaker. As we learned of the tragic attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, we gathered the group and Dr. Lutzer began to teach of St. Augustine’s “City of God” vs. the “City of Man”.

A sight on 9/11 that we will never forget

This world is not our home. The City of God is real and permanent. The City of God is a heavenly and spiritual matter, as opposed to an earthly and political affair. The City of God was contrasted with and in conflict with, the city of men. But the City of God’s eventual triumph is assured by divine prophesy.

Our world has changed since 9/11/01. One can’t get on an airplane without thinking how our world has lost its innocence. And the attacks on our nation transformed America from the great benefactor of the world to a country fearful and suspicious of our international colleagues. Many call them “the enemy”

However, many mission organizations have chosen to not view people in these nations as enemies. Jesus taught to love our enemies and pray for those who despise us. He gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

A fireman surveys the devastation at the Twin Towers

In the last few years, HCJB Global has re-doubled efforts to proclaim the message of Christ through media and demonstrate God’s love through human care.

The verse I discovered in 9/11/01 rings true this 9/11. It’s Psalm 91:1. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

In fact, all of Psalm 91 is a statement of God’s shelter and protection. It might be good reading and reflection on this 911.

The Psalm goes on to state: “you will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.


If you make the Most High your dwelling, even the Lord who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.”

This is better than taking your shoes off before your board an airplane. This is the calm assurance that God’s protection is worth more than the war on terror, or the TSA screenings.

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Wayne Pederson is the President of HCJB Global (www.hcjb.org). As a longtime media professional, Wayne Pederson has a passion for reaching the lost through technology tools. In past roles, Wayne focused on media ministry in local communities through his years with Northwestern College Radio and Moody Broadcasting. He has also taken a national stage, serving with National Religious Broadcasters, Christian Music Broadcasters and Mission America. Wayne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a minor in Radio/TV Speech from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Theology from Free Lutheran Theological Seminary in Minneapolis. He has served as an adjunct professor at Northwestern College and Bethel University. Wayne is a founding member of Need Him Ministries and serves on the board of National Religious Broadcasters. Wayne is married to Norma Pederson, and together they minister around the world to HCJB Global staff and partners. Wayne and Norma have two children, Christy and Michelle. They also are proud to have nine grandchildren. His e-mail address is: wpederson@hcjb.org

Collateral Damage in Middle Eastern Affairs

Collateral Damage in Middle Eastern Affairs

NEWS RELEASE FROM JEREMY REYNALDS (505) 400-7145

Thousands of people often become “collateral damage” in the war against terror, ostensibly sacrificed for the greater good of eradicating terrorism from the planet. In 10 Minutes, author Jeremy Reynalds explores varying perspectives on the idea of collateral damage in Middle Eastern affairs.

Reporter Cameron Foster sacrifices his Christian faith, fidelity to his wife, and journalistic ethics as collateral damage on his path to the weekend anchor position. When he goes on location in Afghanistan, the “collateral damage” to his career becomes far more serious, succumbing to blackmail in order to hide his marital infidelity in the interest of both his marriage and his career. Foster’s actions in Afghanistan result in the deaths of over 150 men, aiding the enemy, and becoming a traitor to his country.  Despite his personal misgivings, he is reminded that “collateral damage” is often used to justify the actions of the American government.

While Foster’s actions may have helped Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama Bin Laden’s second in command, evade the military efforts to find him; events in the real world have played out better than those in this fictional representation of a military operation gone very wrong. 10 Minutes is an incredibly timely story, released on the heels of Osama Bin Laden’s capture and execution in “Operation Neptune Spear,” after evading international attempts to find him for a decade.

Throughout the story, Foster’s actions are justified by his own guilty conscience, by the station pressuring him for stories that violate all standards of social mores, and by his blackmailers, largely reflecting the blurred sense of justification that has guided so much of our modern secular values as well as our actions in international affairs.  Reynalds gives readers a great deal to consider about the true meaning of “collateral damage,” which has become a modern euphemism for all manner of sins, illustrating that sometimes, the result is not worth the damage that is incurred in the process, and that not everything can be justified and moralized.