The Lord is good. A stronghold in the day of trouble. And He knows those who take refuge in Him! Nahum 1:7
Last Friday we remembered the twenty fifth anniversary of the September 11th attack on the Twin Towers. Despite the fact that it happened a long time ago, it is an event that continues to play a determining role in the lives of those of us who were privy to the event.
Questions abound to this day about what really happened on that awful day, but most of us remember the events as though they occurred yesterday. We remember where we were, we remember what time it was, we remember the horror, we remember the disbelief, and we remember the state of denial.
As teachers, we all remember gathering students together in our classroom trying to carry on normally while the school was in lockdown. The televisions were turned off, the children were asked to pack up their things early, and we waited for busses and frantic parents to arrive as if it were just another day.
A short time later, we learned of the passengers of United Flight 93 and their heroic efforts as they formed a plan to fight back against the hijackers. Their collective efforts forced the plane down in Pennsylvania preventing it from reaching its target in Washington, DC. We remember.
Webster defines remembrance as the process of bringing a past event or person to your mind. Remembrance begins with deep personal identification. It begins with remembering the loss of our fellow citizens, and making their pain our own.
Life is uncertain for sure, and sometimes insecure. The acts of September 11, 2001 brought us to a place where we realized how little control we hold. It reminded us that no one can say with certainty where they will be twenty years from now. We don’t know what good or bad lies in our future just like that fateful day took us all by surprise. Only God knows the future, and He is for us!
There are some things we should remember about that day. First, we should remember the ones who lost their lives. We remember the first responders, family members, and fellow workers who were willing to give their lives in an effort to save others.
Next, we should remember all those who were left behind. The first responders, family members, fellow workers, and all who were there and remember the events of that day. We remember all the ones who live with the physical and emotional scars of the horrors they witnessed or experienced that day.
Then, we should remember the price of freedom. America is still the land of the free and the home of the brave. We remember those who paid the price for our freedom.
Finally, we should remember that when we ask, “Where was God?” the answer then as now, He was on His throne just as always. He was and is in charge, and he shines His light in the darkness.
Two days after the attack, a firefighter who went into the first World Trade Tower that was hit, did an interview. He said that as he entered a hallway all he could see was smoke, so he turned on his flashlight. As he walked forward, he began to yell, “If you can see this light, follow it, because I know a way out of here.” To his astonishment, voices began to call to him, and he was able to lead six people to safely. Three minutes after exiting safely, the building collapsed killing all who were inside. God provides a light in the darkness.
On September 14,2002, a year after the attack, Billy Graham said this at the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance in Washington. Yes, our nation has been attacked, buildings destroyed, lives lost, but now we have a choice. We can either implode and disintegrate both emotionally and spiritually as a people and as a nation, or we can choose to become stronger through all the struggle to rebuild on a solid foundation. That foundation is our trust in God.
We remember. God Bless America.