Unleashing the Beast

T HE H ANDWRITING ON A MERICA ' S W ALL / 301

financial might, but memorials to the many times we said "No" to what was right in favor of the fast buck. In Babylon, the handwriting appeared upon the palace wall. In America, the handwriting was on our wall—Wall Street. T IME TO F ACE THE M USIC It is time for us all to be realistic. Instead of a display of gratitude to the One who has blessed this nation with freedom, our arrogance has driven us to defy Him in an effort to be free from Him. Instead of showing our thankfulness for the blessings He has bestowed upon us, our response has been to worship the blessing instead. Considering the unique history of our nation, our relationship with God and understanding how the Lord deals with those He loves, September 11 was bound to happen. The handwriting was on the wall! Just days after the September 11 tragedy, TIME published a special edition devoted totally to the events of that day. In that edition one reporter wrote: If you want to humble an empire it makes sense to maim its cathedrals. They are symbols of its faith, and when they crumple and burn, it tells us we are not so powerful and we can't be safe. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, planted at the base of Manhattan island with the Statue of Liberty as their sentry, and the Pentagon, a squat, concrete fort on the banks of the Potomac, are the sanctuaries of money and power that