Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk /Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland / Evangelisch-Lutherse Kerk in het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
Samen op Weg-Kerken
Letter to the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
(Utrecht, 13 September 2001)
"Dear sisters and brothers in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Words cannot express our feelings in these dark days. Brute and inhuman violence, affecting thousands of people in New York, Washington and Pittsburg, hits the whole population of the USA in its heart, and means an inconceivable shock for all who are called to bridle violence in this world and to pray for its peace in Christ's name. Seeing the pictures of death and destruction, of mourning and fear we share in the distress that has come to so many innocent and unprepared people. Primarily this human solidarity urges us to address you as our sister churches in the USA.
Facing your and our powerlessness against such malicious acts of terror we also seek together with you God's face in our prayers. We pray for those whose lives were broken once and for all by this violence. For those who found death and for those who have to stay behind in mourning. For those who were injured for the rest of their lives and for those who are called to give help and care. For those who have to give spiritual guidance and for those who have to take responsibility for political steps under these extreme conditions. Lord, have mercy.
People from many churches and communities in the Netherlands will come together these days, to seek silence, to pray and to express solidarity with the victims. Saturday night all churches of the Netherlands will convene in a national prayer service in the Dom Church in Utrecht. This service will be directly transmitted by television and will be accompanied by church bell-ringing throughout the Netherlands.
The world will be different after this atrocity. At this very moment nobody can imagine the impact this will have on the worldwide relations between peoples and countries and on national life in the USA. Deep-rooted violence is manifest in many conflicts in our world. Together we are part of the underlying tensions. As churches we must be held accountable for the role religious convictions and communities can play in the quest for other ways of dealing with conflicts. Together we want to stand for peace, justice and reconciliation. May the Spirit of Jesus Christ lead us in all truth, for the good of all humankind.
"O Lord, show us your mercy and grant us your salvation"(Psalms 85, 8)
On behalf of the Uniting Protestant Churches in the Netherlands,
Yours in Christ,
Dr. Bas Plaisier, General Secretary"