On the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the buzz of “where were you and what were you doing when the planes hit the Twin Towers and the Pentagon?” is still relevant.
I remember that day. I was en route to work and stuck on the highway. I was listening to Eric and Kathie on 101.9 The MIX radio station when they broke the news. Bumper to bumper in traffic, their voices, trembling and full of shock informed me of what was happening. I heard a plane crashed into the first tower, a couple of minutes later, another plane crashed into the second tower. By the time I arrived at work, both towers fell and yet another plane crashed into the Pentagon.
Going into my office building, I dropped my belongings in my cubicle and hurried to the office of our department Vice President where the rest of my colleagues had gathered. All eyes were on her television set, just as word was coming through that another flight had crashed in Pennsylvania. It was incredible to comprehend what exactly had happened. A few of my colleagues had family in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C., and they tried contacting them. I had a friend who lived in Long Island and whom I knew traveled to Manhattan for work. My thoughts were of him and his family. By two in the afternoon, we were sent home. Nobody was working, anyway. It was clear that these four collisions had been orchestrated attacks rather than plane malfunctions.
At home, the visual reels of people throwing themselves from the Twin Towers filled my TV monitor. Manhattan was unrecognizable. All flights across the US were canceled and the skies became void. We know the rest of the story, and we shouldn’t ever forget it.
Today, we remember all those that have tragically died. We also honor the heroes who put their lives on the line to save another. They are the first responders, the fireman, the police officers, the hospital doctors, nurses, EMTs, and the many civilians who helped their fellow Americans through this horrific crisis.
Our nation was attacked on our soil. In the aftermath of this horrible occurrence, people became nicer, and we became one, while the government and our leaders became defiant and vowed to seek revenge. Prior to 9/11, our country was changing, rapidly. I believe we became more reliant on ourselves than our true Creator, God.
Have we lost our way? With Covid-19, the pull-out of our troops from Afghanistan, and the division of our country politically, it seems the United States is imploding.
Can America come back? Will God forgive us for our transgressions? Are we able to set aside our differences and become unified? These are some heavy questions to ponder. I pray we take the time to reflect on this anniversary and where we should be headed, together.
2 Chronicles 7: 14. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”