Dwell on these things

Tonight I'll be performing my play Five Bells for 9/11 (GCBC.org).

Each time I prepare to perform this piece I go into mourning. This year I saw it coming, so I had a number of people praying for me. God answered those prayers by giving me insight: This whole play was written to give people new memories, but as humans the things we remember most are those that are most emotional. So I learned to use the play for what it’s designed for! When I think about all those that died I think about the more than 70,000 that were spared. When I get lost in thought about the immensity of the disaster I dwell on the way God gently helped one of the characters find the way home (there's a chance she'll be there tonight). When I feel myself dwelling on the images of distruction, I remember the cross in the rubble. The Word of God said it long ago: Philippians 4:8 (NIV) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

If you're in the area, hope you can make it tonight. Ann Van Hine, the widow of one of the characters will be speaking afterward. She speaks powerfully about how the Lord has kept them positive through the last five years.
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2 comments:

Rich Swingle said...

Have you read Ron Mock's book-- Loving without Giving In: Christian Responses to Terrorism and Tyranny. As you would expect from Ron, it is a meticulously thorough scholarly discussion of the subject. In his introduction to the book, Mark Hatfield wrote, "Ron Mock does here what his predecessors have done in other times of crisis: He draws on sources typically ignored by policymakers to suggest some new responses that offer genuine hope for a long-term winning strategy against terror and tyranny."

If you are not aware of the book, I thought you might appreciate it in relation to your "Five Bells for 9/11".

Blessings,
Raelene Fendall

5:45 PM
Rich Swingle said...

Ron was the first person to book my first full-length one-man play, A Clear Leading. He invited me to perform it over instant messaging, all the way back in 1993.

To order his book, click Loving without Giving In: Christian Responses to Terrorism and Tyranny

Raelene's husband, Lon, was one of my instructors at George Fox University, where he still teaches. One of the characters in 9/11 is a woman named Lana Ho Shing. Because I don't want people to be distracted by the fact that I'm playing a woman I play her as a man and call her Lon, after Professor Fendall.

5:48 PM

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