Reflections on 9/11

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

-Matthew 5:3-11

It’s been 25 years. It still seems like yesterday. Where were you when you heard about the towers falling? Where were you when you heard about our nation’s capital being under attack? Where were you when you heard about ordinary heroes giving their lives on Flight 93 to stop even more death and destruction? I say again, it’s been 25 years. Do we remember how we all came together in the following days to support and care for one another? I ask these questions because I do remember and I will never forget.

Where was I on September 11, 2001 at 7:46am? I was the shift commander working the day watch at the University of Iowa. I just rounded the corner of Melrose Ave and Mormon Trek Blvd in Iowa City when I heard the news from NYC. Being the history buff that I am, when I heard a plane had flown into the World Trade Center, I thought it had to be an accident like when the B-52 bomber hit the Empire State Building in 1945. Then the second tower was hit. I knew then something was deadly wrong.

The day continued with reports of the Pentagon being attacked and then another plane crashing in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. What was going to happen next? Reports came in from every source saying there were rumors of more attacks. What started out as an ordinary September day would change our lives forever. There are many days present and in the past that changed the course of history. September 11, 2001 was certainly one of those days.

When sin was brought into the world, everting changed. We became separated from God and His paradise but that was not the end of the story. God had a plan! He sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem us and reunite us with Him. Jesus paid our price and through Him we are again able to enter His paradise and be with Him forever. We still have many struggles in this life but as the text states, we have many blessings through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. As the old hymn says, “Because He lives, I can live forever!” We know that we are a part of God’s plan and He cares for us. He never leaves us!

One final thought. Recently, as a part of my job at high school, I was supporting students in a US History class. The topic was the events of 9/11. The realization struck me that these students were not yet born when all this happened. I would liken it to my experience with Pearl Harbor. It was something we heard about in history class. They cannot know the impact it had on our lives without us sharing our experiences of that day. It’s like that with Jesus also. Think about it for a minute. The next generation cannot know about Jesus without us sharing what He has done for us. We can’t keep it to ourselves.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!  -Psalm 34:3