Most people remember where they were on September 11, 2001. I was sitting at my computer at home when my son shouted, "Dad, you need to come see this."
Along with my wife, we all stood aghast looking at smoke billow out of the first World Trade tower. Then, along with the rest of the world we looked on in horror when the second tower was hit.
CBN News called within minutes to see what intelligence or insight was coming out of Israel. Shortly after the bombing, an obscure Palestinian group claimed responsibility. However, when they saw the scope of the catastrophe and the ramifications, they quickly withdrew the claim.
In east Jerusalem, news cameras captured some Palestinians celebrating 9/11 by passing out candy. In Jenin and Ramallah, thousands gathered to applaud the news. Palestinian officials confiscated the video of those celebrations from foreign crews. The world would never see those events. One soundman described to us in detail that demonstration and the subsequent threats if any video was ever broadcast.
Several days after 9/11, we did a story on how Israelis felt. We went down to Sbarro's Pizza, the site of one of Jerusalem's most devastating and gruesome suicide bombings. By 9/11, Israelis had been plagued for a year by the second intifada - an armed Palestinian uprising. Dozens of suicide and terror attacks had killed and/or injured hundreds of Israelis. Many identified with the horror of 9/11 and felt a kinship with America. Maybe now - some expressed - Americans would understand what Israelis felt on a daily basis.
9/11 changed the world.
Now, the "war on terror" became a reality. Suddenly the world knew of the Islamic threat posed to the free world. Seven years on, that threat still exists. However, thankfully since 9/11, the U.S. has not suffered another major terror attack. Charles Krauthammer commented the other night on FOX News that President Bush has received no credit for this accomplishment. But he added that "history will look back in awe" at his record.
But even though no major terror attack has hit the shores of the United States, the danger still remains. Islamic groups like al-Qaeda are still pursuing their most coveted means of terror, weapons of mass destruction. Iran is racing toward developing a nuclear bomb. The government of Pakistan, which already has the bomb, is threatened by Islamic radicals.
What's at stake in this war with Islamic terror? Earlier this year, we asked Bernard Lewis, the world's leading Islamic scholar, what's at stake. "Civilization" was his answer.
Given what's at stake in this war, it behooves believers worldwide to pray as Paul exhorted in his letter to Timothy:
"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." I Timothy 2:1, 2.