The CBE staff didn’t miss the irony of attending a “global celebration” less than a week after the September 11 terrorist attacks. How dare we ask the world to celebrate when nearly 7,000 people died in one day? Should we laugh and rejoice when people around the world are weeping and mourning?
In spite of these questions, the Global Celebration for Women in Houston from September 19-22 offered more healing and hope than we ever could have anticipated.
In a time of uncertainty about people from different cultures, we experienced the joy of joining with brothers and sisters from 156 nations. When we struggled with why God allows pain, we were able to make some sense of those who discover Jesus through the incredible saints who preach the good news, in spite of severe persecution. And while we continued to grieve for the loss of lives in the United States, we were also able to delight in the people around the world who were finding new life in Jesus Christ.
The timing for the Global Celebration for Women was perfect, and each of our lives was changed through it. To read more about the event, and the impact of CBE’s presence there, see page 6.
The Global Celebration also reminded us of the suffering that Christians in other parts of the world face each day. While Christians often pray for the men imprisoned or martyred, Anneke Companjen reminds us on page 9 that the women of the persecuted church are often forgotten.
The global focus of this issue continues with a significant question asked by Kim Pettit: “Does CBE Matter in the Face of Terrorism?” Tragedies challenge us to determine what is truly important, and the recent events are no exception. We hope Pettit’s article on page 15 encourages you to see the way CBE reaches the needs of a war-torn world.
