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In times of fear, people seek God
By EILEEN SCHULTE On a cold, ugly morning two weeks ago, the Rev. Mack Sigmon walked into Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church expecting it to be what he calls a "down Sunday," with the pews nearly empty. No one is coming to church on a day like this, the pastor thought. It was also a depressing time. That morning, this newspaper said there was talk of a pre-emptive strike against North Korean nuclear facilities. The day before, the State Department advised nonessential U.S. diplomats and family members to leave Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. And with the al-Qaida network buzzing about imminent terrorist activity, federal authorities placed Americans on heightened alert for an attack, moving the color-coded index to orange. Then Sigmon looked up and to his astonishment, "we had a fairly full church," he said. Some local churches and temples have noticed a slight increase in attendance in the nervous weeks leading up to a possible war with Iraq. "I've sensed it for a while," said Rabbi Arthur Baseman of Temple B'nai Israel in Clearwater. He thinks he knows why. "When we live in times that are seemingly out of control and we see no order to life, no rationale, we look to others for reinforcement, for relationship and a sense of security," he said. "We desire to be with people because we feel there is a benefit. People need to know that goodness will prevail, that goodness will be the ultimate conclusion to the mayhem and havoc that is around us." The Rev. Pete Holmes, pastor of First Christian Church of Largo, said he has observed an increase in the number of first-time guests attending recent services. "When 9/11 happened, America's security blanket was ripped off," Holmes said. "When people are insecure they are going to seek spiritual answers. They are wondering if we make an attack on Iraq, how that is going to affect them. They are worried about terrorist flareups. The targets are usually civilian targets. Fear is a great motivator to seek God. That's what God does: He (washes away) your fear and replaces it with eternal hope." Like most pastors, Sigmon expected an immediate "bounce" after Sept. 11, 2001, and that churches would fill up and stay filled, but that did not happen. "Now it is hitting home," he said. Everybody knows somebody who has been mobilized." He senses his congregants are much more afraid now than they were during the Persian Gulf War. "I started talking about war in my sermon last week and everybody got deathly quiet," he said. "This is when it gets tough to be a minister. This is when I earn my pay." He tells church members that "war is a reality, it's part of our lives. The problem for us is, how do we make moral judgments?" Unlike the other churches, Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Clearwater said attendance at worship services has not increased with the talk of war in Iraq. There has, though, been more interest in prayer and spiritual matters. "People are asking the hard questions about what it means to follow the Prince of Peace and yet face the need to go to war," said Maggie Talbot, the parish secretary. "We have included special prayers for peace in our services and we have had more prayer requests from families with relatives serving in the armed forces." Sigmon said he, too, will pray for peace and will continue to talk to his congregation about freeing the Iraqi people from their suffering, "but I say it with fear and trembling," he said. "Christ understood there is the spiritual," he said, "but in the end we have to deal with the real world." -- Eileen Schulte can be reached at (727) 445-4153 or schulte@sptimes.com .
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
