9.11.01

It was a Tuesday morning. I was in the office of the church I was serving at that time. The chairwoman of our church's Board of Trustees called sometime around 8:30 a.m., CDT. She said she would not be able to be present for a scheduled meeting that night. She worked for a company under Federal contract, and the building had been locked down because some unidentified aircraft had hit one of the towers at the World Trade Center, and there was the possibility of a hostile attack on American soil. The next call I received came from our daughter, who was doing her student teaching at that time. She wanted to know how she should explain to little children what was happening in their world that day. It was September 11, 2001. We all remember where we were and what we were doing when the news hit.

Eight years later the impact of the event continues to unfold. Some say we are in a safer place, since no event of that magnitude has taken place since. Others say life is more precarious, as anti-terror warfare continues, with no end in sight, and 9/11 has redefined how we do travel, large crowd occupancy, and so many other things. Thousands of people still deal with the unbelievably shocking loss of loved ones that day. We saw the very best and the very worst of humanity's capabilities in a short few hours, and in the days to come. And we were reminded of the utter precariousness and fragility of this thing we call life.

It' s important to move on, but it's important to remember as well. Remember that there are people whose grief continues, while the world has rebuilt and gone on about its business. Lives continue to be lost as people are deployed throughout the world trying to protect peace and justice, and to prevent such things from happening again. They need our prayers and support as well. For those of us who are Jesus-followers, a central part of our calling is to pray for those categorized as enemies. They are worth the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as well.

Pause this Friday to reflect on the meaning of the day. Look to the only One whose presence makes sense of the most senseless directions humans take. If you have an American flag, maybe display it at half-staff. September 11, 2001 - a defining day in our lives. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.