As a general rule, I find myself unaware of whatever the current date happens to be. Today is one of the exceptions.
They say that 9/11 is one of those days where everyone
remembers exactly what they were doing when they heard the news. At least in my
case, they’re correct. I was on my way home from a morning class when I heard
the news that a plane had crashed into one of the twin towers. It’s a little
embarrassing to admit, but I didn’t give it a second thought. Sheltered child
that I was, I had no idea what the twin towers even were. In my mind, some
pilot had gone off course and accidentally hit some building somewhere. I got
out of my car and went inside to take a nap.
It wasn’t until a couple hours later that my husband (then boyfriend)
came and knocked on my door to ask what I thought about everything going on. I
had been sleeping through all of it- that was apparently what I thought about
it. He explained the tragic events to me, and I sat in shock with him on the
front porch. For most of the day, we remained glued in front of the news, waiting to hear every single piece of new information. We cried, became angry, and traversed the whole gamut of emotions together.
Most agreed that Americans needed to band together during this time of great loss, and patriotism swept the nation. Flags appeared everywhere- little ones secured to car antennas, newspaper printouts taped to front doors, and on all manner of merchandise as far as the eye could see. Even Congress united to sing God Bless America. We were proud to be Americans.
Just as widespread as that patriotism was a shared grief over all who were lost. Strangers embraced and wept together as the gravity of the situation overwhelmed then. Eventually films explored the process of how life had to go on. So many precious lives lost. And why?
Many Americans considered the terrorist attacks to be a call to arms. Thousands of people died that day, right here on American soil. If the terrorists were intending to pick a fight, then they certainly succeeded. Songs were sung, speeches were given, and calls to action were proclaimed far and wide. Americans wanted blood!
Many saw the tragedy through the lenses of their faith, though even these interpretations varied widely. Some believed God was punishing a sinful nation. Some considered it a wake up call to draw our nation back to God. And still others saw the cross in the rubble as a sign that God was in the midst of our struggles, bringing us hope.
A smaller population came to the conclusion that faith had caused this whole mess to begin with. That religion was to blame for the choices of men.
And fortunately it was an even smaller population that chose to develop some conspiracy theories about the "truth" of 9/11. Google UFO 9/11 and see what you find. (One word: yikes.)
Still others focused on the heroism of those emergency personnel who rushed into the burning buildings as others were rushing out. They marveled at the bravery of Todd Beamer and the Flight 93 passengers, who refused to go without a fight. Some spoke of the brevity of life, researched the teachings of Islam, emphasized the need for airline security, debated the problems with border control, kept hope alive while searching for the missing, stressed the importance of making peace in the middle east, questioned the goodness of God, supported a search for weapons of mass destruction... The list goes on and on.
9/11 impacted our nation in a unique and terrible and wonderful way. It is a part of our history, and each year we remember the impact that it had on us as a person and a nation. The raw emotion of the moment may be gone, but I hope we've come through stronger as a result. As we see the images and maybe watch the videos today, let's not resort to feeling blind rage, despondent sorrow, or fruitless worry.
Whichever side you found yourself on all those many years ago, whatever feelings were evoked- none of that matters moving forward. There are so many directions of thought this tragedy could take us in, but I submit that the most important one is a question.
What is the truth at the center of it all?
We have to find it, and then we can work our way outward to deal with the entirety of what life throws at us. Then even when the worst happens, we need not fear.
Seek the truth. Find it, hidden among all the lies and foolishness and distraction this world has to offer. Test God. See if the promises he's made hold up. Look at them for yourself, and don't take anyone else's word for it. Then cling to the truth you find. Focus on it. Continue to learn about it day by day. Live for it.
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
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