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| Lift High the Cross... |
October 09, 2001 |
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Dear Friends,
“Lift high the cross” is an outreach ministry of the Lutheran Church. A maroon balloon with a silver cross on the side, it was unfurled and half-inflated when the winds went out of limits on Saturday morning. But I’m glad we went. The crowd at Balloon Fiesta Park was big and the uplifted faces and prevalence of red, white and blue was collective proof of what we all know in our hearts.
We are a strong and resilient people, full of goodness and determination.
Like many of you, I watched intermittently on Sunday as reports came in from Afghanistan and the President spoke to the country.
The military action that started Sunday is one piece of a broad offensive against terrorism that includes every element of our national power—diplomatic, financial, military and law enforcement.
This will take some time. Some of it we will see and some of it we won’t see and may never learn about.
In the remarkable taped message from Osama Bin Laden played on television Sunday he made a serious mistake. He said, “There is America, full of fear from its north to its south, from its west to its east. Thank God for that.” Perhaps his words were meant to embolden his supporters. They certainly emboldened his enemy.
In the wake of September 11th so many of us have wanted to “do something.” We’ve written letters and donated to charity, renewed our faith, and flown our flags. But there is one very important thing each of us can do and help others to do: live without fear.
Be confident and seize today. Take a risk. Make a change. Share a treat. Work hard and joyfully. Start something new or finish something deferred. Invest in a dream. Celebrate a milestone. Laugh. Turn your face to the dawn sky at the Balloon Fiesta. Lift High the Cross.
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