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American Morning

America Under Attack: Talk and Prayer with Bishop T.D. Jakes

Aired September 14, 2001 - 09:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: As we tell you in little more than two hours' time, there will be a national prayer service a at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. Among the people who will be participating one way or another is Bishop T.D. Jakes. He is with The Potter's House. He joins us now to talk a little bit about what Americans can expect in the days ahead, and what Americans of faith are thinking right now.

Good to have you with us, Bishop Jakes.

Thanks you. It's a pleasure to be with you today.

O'BRIEN: What are your thoughts on this day of prayer?

BISHOP T.D. JAKES, THE POTTER'S HOUSE: I think it's a very essential moment for the nation to come together and come to grips with the presence of God and allowing God's grace and presence to fortify us and undergird us as we're feeling vulnerable, and we know that there are many important decisions to be made. We want divine intervention in those decisions.

A little while ago, I asked the dean of the national cathedral what the scriptures say about retribution, about the desire for vengeance. Certainly if you look in the Old Testament, there's plenty of examples of vengeance. Do you choose to interpret the scriptures that way?

JAKES: I think what's important for us is that the Bible says that the power that be are ordained of God, and it respects the leadership that is in place. And I think it's a strong time for Americans to gather and galvanize around the leadership that we have in place, and they're doing that. There is a strong solidarity between people of all races, all cultures and religions in this country. We're feeling unified like I've never seen before, and looking to our government to make the right decisions and appropriate those decisions for the betterment of our nation.

O'BRIEN: But specifically, though, what do you tell your flock about the desire for some kind of vengeance? Do you tell them that's inappropriate?

JAKES: I think more important rather than critical of a natural reaction to pain, which is anger. All of us are feeling angry and hostility, and the Bible said be angry and sin not. So the Bible acknowledges it is a human reaction where it is natural to be angry. It's the process of grief. And rather than to chasten people for being angry, I think we need to support them and offer solutions that we can disperse that anger appropriately, through prayer, interacting with our families, communicating with one another, and reaching out to help people in need often give sense of being able not only to respond to the crisis, but to help with the solution.

O'BRIEN: Give us a sense of the words that you choose right now, when people come to you say, for one reason or another, this whole thing has left them questioning their faith and wondering how a God could allow this to happen.

JAKES: You know, I've been quick to respond to that, because I think that those illustrations are much more applicable when people are facing a tornado or an earthquake, and they associate those issues with God. But even in those case, that is not an accurate association, but it does occur. In this case, it is clearly not an issue of man and conflict with God or God with man; this is man in conflict with man. I think Americans understand that this is brought about through the evil and the wickedness of man against man, and not an act against God.

Our faith is essential, because as we face the complexities of how do we protect ourselves, and are we really protected sufficiently, there is that divine component of allowing God to be our strength, fortify us and lead us into the days ahead.

O'BRIEN: You talk about the days ahead. As the shock wears off and the grief progresses into its various stages, it sometimes can be even more challenging for people coping with this, either intimately or from afar. This grief transcends just those who are directly involved. We are after all affected. What is your biggest concern as time goes on?

JAKES: You know, I have a lot of concern. First of all, I don't think we've even began to grieve. We were shocked at fist. Now we're going into an anger stage. Many people in New York and around the world are hoping against hope that their loved ones might be found. So they're suspended. They have not resolved in their own minds that these are casualties yet. They can't really grieve appropriately because so many unanswered questions. Who is going to be found? Maybe someone escaped the building, has not been notified. So they're not really entering into true grief yet, because they're suspended, which is a very painful time. And During this time, support from family, from churches, from synagogues, help to fortify us, and then after that, we enter into true grief and acceptance if we're unable to find or locate the loved ones that we are waiting and hoping against hope that we might be able to find.

O'BRIEN: Bishop Jakes, I wonder if you could share words of prayer with us. What are the words that are appropriate at this time?

JAKES: You know, I would like to take this opportunity to pray. And those watching right now, just to pray with you, and just believe God, and ask the father to come and comfort in a special way, those that are hurting those that are angry and those that are confused. Father, we seize this opportunity to ask you to just cover with your grace, and mercy and love those who are wounded in a way that only you can do, on the inside, giving grace and peace to them. We pray for the president, we pray for his decisions, for Congress, that you might lead us into the days ahead with your divine protection. This is my prayer. And I pray it unto the Lord and his name, and I want to invite Americans everywhere in whatever methods you choose to pray to join as we seek and call on the name of God to answer, and to heal, and to lead our nation through the tough days ahead.

O'BRIEN: Bishop T.D. Jakes, my apologies, thank you for sharing that with us. We really appreciate your time, and your thoughts and prayers your with us.

JAKES: God bless you, and God bless America.

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