Triumph Over Tragedy

December 2001

Dear Friends,

Christmas is here once again, and I hope that you and your loved ones are finding the time to enjoy the beauty of the season. How encouraging it is to know that, during this particularly chaotic period in our nation’s history, we can celebrate the birth of the One of whom it is written: "And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end" (Isaiah 9:6b-7a, NIV).

Indeed, the familiar phrase "peace on earth," which is frequently intoned at Christmas, might seem out of place to some of us at the end of 2001. What a year it has been! Who would have thought we would ever see the Pentagon — the very pinnacle of our military power — ripped open and shrouded in smoke and flame? And who could have imagined that two of our tallest buildings could have come crashing down, turning the heart of our biggest city into an ash heap and leaving thousands dead? I certainly never would have dreamed that employees of organizations that handle large volumes of mail—including our Constituent Response staff here at Focus — would be opening letters while wearing rubber gloves, as a precaution against anthrax and other forms of bio-terrorism. What is more, our economy has become alarmingly unstable in the wake of the attacks (Focus on the Family has been seriously impacted by these developments, and I will address those concerns later). Meanwhile, thousands of men and women in our armed forces are fighting for freedom in Afghanistan and elsewhere. It certainly doesn’t bring to mind a tranquil Christmas postcard, does it?

And yet, Christmas is itself a story of God breaking through into a world of turmoil. In my November letter, I wrote about how we, as Christians, could be thankful even in the midst of uncertainty. This month, as Christmas greetings are intermingled with talk of terrorism and war, I believe it is important that we remember the peace and security that are ours because of Jesus Christ. At the time of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, the tiny nation of Israel had been languishing under the domination of Greek and Roman governments for hundreds of years.1 The people of that time were weary with fear, and burdened by years of oppression. They were hoping beyond all hope for the appearance of the Messiah, their deliverer promised in the Old Testament.

An angel foretold His coming to His mother, Mary: "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:32-33, NIV). Mary herself sang a song of joy over her unborn son: "He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble" (Luke 1:51-52, NIV). Similarly, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was filled with the Holy Spirit and sang, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed His people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David" (Luke 1:68-69, NIV).

We all know what happens next, as the story of the nativity is foundational to the celebration of Christmas. Jesus was born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem. God Himself took on the form of a man and lived a perfect life so that we might be reconciled to Him. Jesus’ birth didn’t bring about the immediate destruction of the Roman Empire. His appearance as a man didn’t automatically remove Israel from the physical danger and oppression it had endured for so long. Nevertheless, the angels sang, the heavens rejoiced and the shepherds bowed down and worshipped. They understood even then that Jesus had come not to deliver them from any government or temporal power, but to reconcile them to God. It was truly "good news of great joy that will be for all people" — Christ the Savior was born! God had broken through.

I firmly believe that God "broke through" on September 11 as well, and He continues to assure us of His presence, even as the terrible effects of the tragedy still echo throughout this Christmas season. Many of you have probably read the gripping accounts of what transpired on that awful day, but even in these stories, there is evidence that God was making Himself known amidst the horror.

USA Today recounted the experience of Stanley Praimnath, a vice president for Fuji Bank, whose office was located on the 81st floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center.2 After the first airliner hit the neighboring building, he attempted to vacate his office but was told to return to his desk. As he sat talking on the phone, the nose of the second plane filled the sky outside his window — so close that he could read the writing on its wing. His office exploded in a maelstrom of fire and jet fuel, and Praimnath was left trapped beneath a collapsed wall. Brian Clark, who was three floors above when the plane hit, heard Praimnath’s cries for help as he fled the building. Together, the two men made their way down the smoke-filled stairwell and out of the tower, which collapsed only a few moments later. Praimnath later told the Assemblies of God News Service that he had prayed before heading to work that morning, "Lord, cover me and all my loved ones under Your precious blood."3

Another worker in the south tower, Diane Murray, also escaped—even though her office with Aon Corporation on the 92nd floor was one of the areas directly impacted by the hijacked airliner. On September 15 — her 30th birthday — she attended a worship service at Franklin St. John’s United Methodist Church in Newark. Ms. Murray explained how two fellow employees, whom she called her "Peter and Paul," helped lead her to safety.4

There is now a spiritual sensitivity in this nation that was not evident before the tragic events of September 11. Indeed, some of our governmental leaders seemed determined, prior to that date, to "secularize" every aspect of public life. For example, Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate last summer ceased using the words "so help me God" when administering oaths to nominees during confirmation hearings. When news of this abrupt change in policy leaked out, Vermont Senator Patrick J. Leahy replied, "I never gave it thought one way or the other."5 Oh really, Senator? One does not abandon decades of tradition in the halls of Congress without forethought and purpose. Such is the nature of politics. Nevertheless, Leahy’s unilateral decision was indicative of the progressive effort to eliminate any reference to God by our national leaders. But on September 11, everything changed. On the day after the terrorist attacks, members of the United States Congress abandoned partisan bickering and stood on the Capitol steps with tears in their eyes singing "God Bless America."6 Similarly, Americans from nearly every profession and walk of life embraced phrases invoking God’s name, proudly displaying them on banners, bumper stickers, buttons and — without any regard whatsoever for the ACLU — at public venues!

A recent editorial in USA Today, written by Kathleen Parker, describes this phenomenon in powerful terms. I’d like to share an excerpt from that article, which serves as a further reminder that God has not been absent during these past few months:

America today is about God and country, but then it always has been. We just lost track. We lost track when we evicted God from our public institutions and when we stopped honoring our nation with the songs and rituals that defined American childhood until a few decades ago. . . . Since terrorists brought down the twin towers and part of the Pentagon, we’ve repeatedly witnessed America’s leaders praying, singing, pledging and asking the nation’s citizens to join them. Which is to say, our children must be awfully confused. Reared and educated in godless institutions that also scarcely acknowledge the importance of patriotism — watching adults sing songs they’ve never learned—they must wonder "wassup." . . . If we’re to win this war — sure to last into our children’s futures—we have to reweave the rituals of God and country into our institutions. We can’t expect children to understand and someday defend a heritage that they have never been given.7

I agree wholeheartedly with Kathleen Parker’s sentiments. I’m thankful for the renewed interest in God that has arisen in our country since the attacks. My prayer is that this spirit of faith and patriotism will continue for years to come, touching every part of our society long after the current crisis has passed. Even more importantly, I hope the heightened spiritual sensitivity that many Americans are now experiencing will lead to a genuine outpouring of faith in which many people give their lives to Jesus Christ. Those of us who already know Him must be ready to share His love with the ones who are questioning their existence and seeking God during these uncertain times. Christmas provides us with a wonderful opportunity to do just that! It’s up to us to let our neighbors know that the Baby in the manger is more than just a symbol or a tradition. He is the living God of the universe who died and rose again to save us from our sins.

Before closing, I need to say a word about our financial situation here at Focus on the Family. As most of you know, I am loathe to discuss this subject, and I have done so only a few times throughout the history of the ministry — and then only under the direst of circumstances. I must do so on this occasion, because Focus is currently facing the greatest financial shortfall it has experienced in its 24 years of operation.

Not surprisingly, our situation is apparently linked to the terrorist activity that has gripped our nation in recent weeks. In fact, on September 12, the day after the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, donations to Focus on the Family went into a tailspin, dropping by 30 percent compared to the same time a year earlier. Prospects for the rest of the year are also cause for concern.

Of course, Focus on the Family isn’t the only organization experiencing these problems. A recent article from BusinessWeek Online proclaimed, "At a time when Americans have shown record-breaking generosity in donating to causes concerned with the September 11 attacks — close to $1 billion has been given in the past five weeks—local charities around the country are struggling."8 The article went on to discuss how, as important as it is to support the recovery efforts in New York and elsewhere, other nonprofit organizations could suffer as a result of "charity fatigue." The article states, "Because the last few months of the year are generally the biggest for giving — as people plan for taxes and get into the holiday spirit — the full effect of September 11 is not yet known."9

What is known is that massive amounts of money have been sent to relief efforts in New York City, so much so that the Red Cross has recently asked that contributions to that cause should cease. Amazingly, the organization reports that it has more money than it can use. And unfortunately, not all of the funds designated for hurting families will ever get to them. After nearly two months of soliciting contributions, totaling $564 million, they revealed a plan to place about $264 million of the fund in reserve for future terrorist attacks.10 But it doesn’t end there. Initially, the Red Cross budgeted $26 million from the $564 million "Liberty Disaster Relief Fund" to promote "humanitarian" principles such as neutrality, unity and tolerance among people.11 After word got out and press criticism increased, the Red Cross leaders quickly changed course. Nevertheless, they’re still planning on spending $29 million of the fund for "overhead" expenses and additional system upgrades.12

While no caring person could object to funds designated for the families of victims in New York City and Washington, D.C., it appears that the Red Cross and other significant relief organizations are overwhelmed by the cascade of money flowing into their coffers. Television commentator Bill O’Reilly revealed on his program that many needy people in New York have not yet been given a dime of support from the many organizations that raised funds for this purpose.13 That is disgraceful. Even more shocking was the revelation that The September 11^th Fund, an arm of The United Way, made a grant of $171,000 to a group defending eight individuals being held in connection with the attacks themselves.14 Consider the outrageous irony: The United Way has increasingly blocked support to The Boy Scouts of America because they’ve refused to cave in to the homosexual agenda, yet they’re willing to help out potentially suspected terrorists with money apparently earmarked for victims in New York City.15 The Twin Towers Fund, which has raised nearly $80 million since September 11, gave out nothing until just before Thanksgiving.16 There is even bipartisan criticism in Congress, with Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-LA) and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) sharply questioning Red Cross officials under oath at a three-hour hearing by a House Commerce investigative subcommitee.17 Please don’t misunderstand my concerns at this point. We at Focus on the Family value the contributions of reputable groups that have pledged their assistance, but, to date, the record of many others has been dismal. Meanwhile, other legitimate endeavors across the country are languishing.

There are other concerns. President Bush recently suggested that the terrorist attacks were designed to "shatter confidence in the world economic system,"18 and they seem to have succeeded to a certain degree. The U.S. economy was in a weakened state even before the attacks, and the problem has simply been magnified after September 11. In an interview concerning consumer spending in the face of a recession, Deloitte Research Chief Economist Carl Steidtmann said, "Between now and the end of the year, [we may see] the loss of another half a million jobs. Really, that more than anything is setting this Christmas season up to be one of the worst in memory." 19

I hope I have not put a damper on your Christmas spirit by sharing depressing financial statistics with you. Many of you are experiencing challenges of your own. Still, I do feel a responsibility to make you aware of our needs. We operate on what is called the "manna principle" here at Focus. In other words, we depend on the Lord by making the most of the contributions we receive day by day, but we don’t try to maintain a surplus for a rainy day or year. If we endeavored to store up the "manna" God sent our way, it would become moldy. Frankly, if I were running a business, I’d make a point of setting aside money that could carry the company through a difficult time. But, since Focus on the Family is a ministry, I feel it is important to put the donations we receive to work in order to further the mission to which God has called us.

In realistic terms, this means that when contributions take a significant downturn, as they have now done, our financial needs are immediate. And just as we don’t keep a large surplus of funds, we also won’t go into debt or spend money we don’t have, even to support existing programs. If the Lord wants to reduce the scope of our outreach, or if He wants Focus on the Family to be half as big as it was a year ago, we must be prepared to accept that eventuality. He is in control, and if He wants us to "downsize," we will be obedient.

It is also worth mentioning that these economic difficulties have come at a time when Focus on the Family has seen a dramatic increase in the distribution of many of our resources on a benevolent basis. For example, several members of our staff have been engaged in outreach at or near "Ground Zero" in New York City, providing free materials (including more than 4,000 copies of my book When God Doesn’t Make Sense) to area churches. There has been a tremendous influx of requests for books, tapes and other items that might be helpful to those who have been impacted by the tragedy. For example, on September 12 alone, our Ministry Outreach department received 1,300 phone calls from pastors looking for resources to share with their hurting parishioners. We have attempted, as much as possible, to provide these materials at no cost. Focus has also sent staff members to work "on location" in New York City, doing whatever possible to help those in need.

Again, my intention in sharing this information with you is simply to keep you informed. If, after you have met your obligation to your local church, you can send a small contribution to let us know you’re "out there," we would be most appreciative. However, I know this time of year can be particularly challenging in financial terms, with gifts and commitments of various kinds. Perhaps you have taken a pay cut or even lost your job as a result of our weakened economy. If that is the case, I’m certainly not asking you to send money to the ministry. My only request is that you pray for us, asking that the Lord would provide us with the resources necessary to carry out His will. We’re keenly aware that your earnest intercession on our behalf is more valuable than anything else. And we know that the Lord knows our needs and remains in control of the situation.

Without a doubt, we have every reason to be joyful, because God cares about us deeply and is concerned about every minute detail of our lives. He has not abandoned us, even in this hour of uncertainty. The face of the Child in the manger is the face of the One who loves us more than we can possibly imagine. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5, NIV).

May you and your loved ones have a blessed Christmas, taking joy and comfort in the One who brought us peace. See you in 2002!

Sincerely,

James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
President