Earlier this year I started reading Karl Rove's Courage and Consequence.  I put it down about a month ago because it was dragging a little for me.  I seriously could have lived the rest of my life not knowing every single detail of President Bush's run for Texas Governor.  Life got busy with the Exodus Freedom Conference and I also didn't have the time to read much of anything outside of the Bible and some devotionals.

Even so, I have been on vacation and picked it up again.  I am glad I did.  That attention to detail led to some of the most powerful writing I have read in a memoir.

With crystal clarity I read about Mr. Rove's election night of 2000 that led to the huge squabble in Florida over who won the Presidential election between Bush and Gore.  I relived that night but it was fascinating to read it from Mr. Rove's perspective and compare/contrast the evening from my limited average American watching TV perspective to his "insider" perspective.

Then yesterday I read the chapters covering the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 against America.  I've been reading the book while doing cardio and for once I was very glad that I sweat profusely.  I was glad for that because I was counting on the sweat to mask the tears as they poured down my face as I read Karl's account of that horrible day.  I don't know if it was his writing style or my personal attachment to the subject matter but it was the most powerful written accounting of that day I have read.

Again, it was a very enlightening to see a moment in history from an "insider's" perspective.  Of course 9/11 involved us all at some level, but to hear about it through the memories of the man who counseled the President ... powerful.  He mentioned sitting in his quiet home that first night and realizing he wasn't hearing any traffic or airplanes except for the jet fighters.  I marveled in that I lived near DFW airport at that time and it was the exact same ... no planes, no traffic and I looked out from the front porch of my apartments and saw military helicopters patrolling the DFW airspace.

I thought it was interesting that when I got home from the gym, after reading all of this, I saw that the Queen of England laid a wreath at Ground Zero. After that she visited a garden honoring the British citizens who died that day.

Then this morning I woke up and the first thought was lamenting a headache I have had since yesterday and woke up with.  As I sat there it came to mind that today was the fifth anniversary of the 7/7/2005 bombing in London.

It's not like I walk around morbidly living out a paranoid life over the threat of terrorism.  However, there are times when I know that I know the Lord is telling me to pray against further evil of that nature.  I don't know if this confluence of reading Mr. Rove's account, The Queen's respectful remembrance and this being the anniversary of 7/7/2010 is God telling me to pray but I am going to do so anyway.  I am sure He would approve.

As a Christian I would hope that anyone contemplating the perpetuation of terror would reconsider.  That they would pray first (even of different faiths because I believe God always hears the honest heart) and seek to make their case through wisdom and non-violent action (<--could include non-violent civil disobedience where justified.)

That said, if someone or some group murders innocent people ... they best pray that God will have mercy on their soul because the United States and England won't. To clarify, I am not talking about having mercy from one person to another or having mercy on those who are caught, confess and seek to make things right.  But someone/some group bent on killing innocents should know they will not succeed in intimidating us into submission to their demands. They will regret their actions (successful attacks or thwarted plots.)

Sidenote: Interesting developments in the thwarted NYC and London subway bomb plot shared on FOX News as I was writing this post.

Photo Credits: Courage and Consequence - Amazon, of the Queen - New York Times, 7/7 Bus bombing - The Daily Mail