Security at the border

Lines at the border have been absolutely terrible this summer with numerous reports of 2+ hour waits because of tightened security. While we all remember the days of crossing the border with little more than a drivers licence and answering a trite question (like our favorite restaurant while we were visiting), those days are no longer. Passports are the item of the day now and maybe soon, an enhanced driver's licence that may contain a chip with all our personal information embedded within it.

George Bush, following the attacks on 9/11, said that we must move on and show the terrorists that we will not allow their acts of terror to continue to hold our countries hostage. Looking at the world events unravelling over the past 6 years and I would venture to say that we haven't moved on. Speaking only of North America, it is safe to say that 9/11 has defined much of our society this decade and many continue to live in response to that perceived threat.

Fear is a powerful tool that politicians and insurance salesmen know how to use very well. As human beings, it is easy to become incapacitated by the 'what ifs' in life. It can paralyze us from doing even the most ordinary things because we're afraid that something will happen. When we aren't simply paralyzed, we can react in a couple other ways. Known as the 'fight or flight' response, we can choose to face the fear and fight it or we can run and hide. In life, there is a time for both. Neither one is right all the time. But in response to 9/11, we've been led into fight mode. We're in Afghanistan and Iraq hunting them down. We're putting structure into our society to try to eliminate the unpredictable (like passport and airport regulations).

The truth is that we'll never get there. We'll never take unpredictability out of life. No matter how many regulations and structures we put in place, there will always be room for the the unplanned for. So fear will always be a part of our lives and safety is an illusion that we'll never attain. That's IF we continue to choose to trust in ourselves - our ingenuity, our capacity to think, plan and create.

There's only one way to take out unpredictability. Jesus. Life remains unpredictable for us. But nothing in our world catches God by surprise. While we will never understand it, God knows and at times allows stuff to happen to us and those around us. I'm not sure why. But God knew our pain enough to send Jesus to redeem it and bring life out of death, light out of darkness. While it is our responsibility to take reasonable precautions in life, ultimately our answer doesn't lie in our ingenuity, our trust of the government or anyone else. The only answer is Jesus.

Brian Doerksen wrote the songs Hope of the Nations and You shine in response to 9/11.

Jesus, hope of the nations
Jesus, comfort for all who mourn
You are the source of heaven’s hope on earth
Jesus, light in the darkness
Jesus, truth in each circumstance
You are the source of heaven’s light on earth
In history, You lived and died,
You broke the chains, You rose to life
You are the hope, living in us
You are the Rock, in whom we trust
You are the light
shining for all the world to see
You rose from the dead, conquering fear
Our Prince of Peace, drawing us near
Jesus our hope
Living for all who will receive
Lord we believe!!