What Do We Need To Remember About September 11th?

There is much about September 11, 2001 that is worth remembering. But here are two truths which stand out for me.

First, it is worthwhile for us to remember the courage and heroism exhibited by the first responders. As regular citizens were understandably running from the carnage and destruction that day, firefighters, police officers and other emergency response agents were running toward the scenes of the attack.

You might say, “Well, that’s their job!”

You are right. But it is still remarkable.

The desire of these tremendous individuals was to assist those who were hurt and needing direction as well as the prevention of further injury and death. As they engaged in this form of service they put themselves in great danger and, as we know, many of the first responders were injured and killed in the line of duty.

This kind of brave behavior is good, right, proper, exceptional, important and noteworthy. These men and women deserve our deep respect and gratitude.

Second, it is worth remembering there are still people who share the viewpoint of the terrorists who executed the attacks of September 11^th. The events of that day do not represent a historical oddity which could never happen again.

If there are serious people who genuinely desire our destruction—and there are—then a general awareness of this reality is important.

The main duty of the governmental leaders of any country is this: to defend and protect the people of the country. Obviously, the leaders have other challenging duties, as well. But if they fail when it comes to defending and protecting, can you see how the other duties become fairly inconsequential?

I pray our leaders will have great wisdom, integrity and courage. I hope you will pray for them, too.

Let’s remember the profound events of 9/11. What happened that day is still of great significance.

It Is Important That We Do Not Forget

As the years go by it becomes easier and easier to forget…

The tragedy of that day.

The shock of that day.

The sadness of that day,

The courage of the first responders that day.

The feelings of unity that we experienced with our fellow citizens that day.

It is important that we do not forget.

September 11, 2001

Can There Be Hope In Light of The Events of 9/11?

In light of 9/11 we ask, is there any possibility of hope even in the context of hurt, tragedy and sadness?  I have to believe that there is.  Where is that hope found?  It’s found in the reality that there is Someone even bigger than the hurt, tragedy and sadness.  And the joy, peace and love that is found in Him is known and understood from an eternal perspective.

Fall Kick-Off September 11... Be There!

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Nine Years After September 11th, Certainty Is STILL Only Found In God

I remember, Nadia called me at church and said, “A plane flew into one of the World Trade Center buildings.” I rushed home to watch it on TV and saw the next plane fly into the 2^nd tower. That weekend, the church was very crowded. People naturally look to God when life feels uncertain. Nine yrs. later it’s good to remember that true CERTAINTY and stability in life are STILL only found in God.

E-Flash From Dan, Remember Sept. 11

How does a Christian respond to the events of Sept. 11th? I’ve thought about this many times, as you all have. And, as usual, Jesus and who He is and what He has done challenges my thinking deeply on the matter.

My thoughts are: Uh oh, we’re not safe after all.
The reality of Jesus tells me: You’ve never been safe and you will never have true safety except in me.

My thoughts are: Revenge! Get those no good jerks who did this to us.
The reality of Jesus tells me: Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you. (It’s possible to do this AND not condone the wrong doing that happened.)

My thoughts are: Terrorism means that life will never be the same again.
The reality of Jesus tells me: In Christ there is full and joyful and meaningful and abundant life, despite the circumstances of this world.

We live in a place that offers us extraordinary freedom and incredible opportunities. We all know it’s not a perfect country, but it is one of the most extraordinary systems of government ever devised and it has provided a way of life and a standard of living that, in many respects, is unparalleled in the history of the world. The wealthiest kings in ancient history did not have the standard of living that an average, middle-class American enjoys today. (I’ll remind you that I’m typing this on my lap-top computer in my air-conditioned office while my MP3 player containing videos and hundreds of songs sits on the desk 6 inches from my hands. . . . Oh, wait, hold it, just a second, my new phone which contains every toy and trick known to mankind is ringing.)

We’ve had to weather some tough times in the past year—and I realize there may still be tough times ahead for many of us, I don’t mean to minimize anyone’s difficulties—but it’s still true that we are privileged to live in an amazing place.

My friend Gary left a post last night on Facebook about remembering the feelings of unity that were stirred back on 9/11/01. That’s a good thought. There really was a spirit of unity and even a love for our country and for each other that happened in the midst of the confusion and anxiety of those sad events. Remember it?

As we remember those who lost their lives and as we appropriately remember that tragic day in our nation’s history, it seems like it would be helpful for us to remember the spirit of love and unity that we experienced back then, too.

I hope you have an authentic sense of God’s presence and His love and His blessing today!