Dan Marler's Blog: September 2019

Here are some thoughts I shared about 9/11 on September 11, 2013. This still holds true for me...

When I think back to that day, 12 years ago, it still stirs emotion. The tragic loss of so many of our fellow citizens almost seemed to knock the wind out of me. It was genuinely shocking. Time has diminished the feeling somewhat, of course, but if I take the time to pause and remember—or view images of that day—the sorrow is still there.

I recall thinking part of the reason for our nation’s vulnerability is that we enjoy freedoms that can be taken advantage of. And I wondered, that day, how many of our freedoms would have to be forfeited for the sake of greater security. The recognition that we would lose freedoms really broke my heart. It still does. It seemed to me there was a certain innocence lost and that life would never quite be exactly the same again. In some ways, unfortunately, we are seeing that come to pass.

There was a reigniting of love for our country and a turning toward God that occurred in the initial wake of the event. That was a natural response in light of the type of tragedy we experienced. The attack reminded many of us how much we love our country. We discovered that when your country is attacked, your feelings of love for it grow stronger. Is it a flawed country? Yes, all countries are. But it is still an extraordinary place to live. It is still the most exceptional nation of hope and possibility that has ever existed.

It really is.

I pray that is never lost.

The turning toward God occurs during these types of events because we return to that which is fundamental in such a tragedy. When life feels confusing and unstable, many of us realize, once again, that God is the solid rock and “all other ground is sinking sand” as the old hymn goes.

It’s 12 years later. We cannot possibly have the same potent feelings of September 11, 2001. But for those who are old enough, can we think back to the fundamental truths that stirred in us in the initial days and weeks following those life-altering events?

There were important realizations that happened and they are realizations that are worth remembering.