Where were you? Lots of people are asking that question as we get closer to the 10th Anniversary of 9-11. I remember talking with my co-worker, Jackie, while I was driving into work that morning.  I had been listening to … Continue reading →

Where were you?

Lots of people are asking that question as we get closer to the 10 ^th Anniversary of 9-11.

I remember talking with my co-worker, Jackie, while I was driving into work that morning.  I had been listening to music, not the news, and Jackie asked me if I had heard about what was going on.  One plane had already hit the Twin Towers – it would soon become two… while another would focus on the Pentagon and a fourth would target our nation’s capitol.  Walking into the office that morning, it was honestly hard for anyone to do their normal jobs.  What was happening was too shocking, too hard to understand.  How could this be happening here, on our shores, in this country?  In a place known as “the land of the free and the home of the brave”, how could anyone act so cowardly?

Stunned, we listened to the radio accounts of what was happening.  We were on the internet as much as possible, trying desperately to keep up with the breaking news.  With horror, we listened and watched as what had been known as the World Trade Center collapsed.  Thousands were dead.  Countless numbers of people ran, tears flowing from their eyes, covered in dust and in utter dismay, while others stood in disbelief, watching helplessly at the destruction happening before their eyes.

The impact of those events at “Ground Zero” rippled across our country.

Here at the office, shortly after arriving, I was approached by several of my co-workers who simply asked if I would be willing to lead the group in a prayer…and everyone joined in.  And it wasn’t limited to our facility – all around our country, the churches bulged with people…people who were seeking to understand, people who had their foundations shaken, people who recognized that, especially in times of crisis, we needed to lean on God for the strength to carry on and for the comfort to help us deal with the loss and confusion and pain so many were enduring.  Prayer vigils were held in communities across the nation.  And millions of people throughout the land dropped to their knees. We became a nation of prayer unlike any other time in recent history. 

Businesses took down advertisements for their products and replaced them with things like “We Will Never Forget” and “Pray For Our Nation”.

We dropped partisan politics and petty bickering and embraced one another.  In spite of our differences, we were Americans, and we were resolved that, while our enemies might knock us down, they would never defeat us.  Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, we came alongside one another, encouraged one another, and worked together to ensure that this “great experiment” continued and to ensure that the United States of America would always serve as a beacon to “the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free”.

For the first time in a long time, we truly became the United States – we were a country united in support of one another and in support of doing whatever was necessary to prevent this kind of attack from ever happening on our shores again. 

On that day, we heard those courageous stories of the first responders in New York City who bravely went back into the Twin Towers to rescue people trapped…and who ultimately gave their lives to save others.  We heard about the passengers on United Flight 93 who attempted to take control of the hijacked plane, eventually leading to the crash of the plane in Pennsylvania, short of its Washington, D.C., target.  We heard about the 9-1-1 operators who had to bravely talk with people trapped in the World Trade Center, but all-too-often had to deal with the reality that those with whom they spoke would not make it out alive.  So many people became “heroes” that day – people who had to deal with the grief of knowing what was happening and the urgency of the situation, yet kept their composure and continued their jobs on what would arguably be the hardest day of their lives.

While people filled with hatred attempted to fill us with darkness and despair, instead everything that was great about our country and its citizens shone brightly that day. 

Unfortunately, not much of the positive impact of September 11, 2001, has remained.

As we pause to remember what occurred that day, it’s important that we also reflect on what has happened in our nation since that day.  Thousands of troops have given their lives as we’ve waged a war for years in the Middle East, working to stop those who would use terror tactics to advance their warped agendas.  Our economy has suffered.  Unemployment has touched nearly every extended family in some way.  Politically, brokenness and divisiveness have defined the system more than cooperation and compromise.  While we came together as a nation in the days and weeks following September 11, 2001, we’ve since drifted apart.  In many ways it seems that we have lost our way as a people and as a country.

In large part, I believe that it’s because we’ve drifted away from God again and back to the mistaken idea that somehow mankind can fix its own problems, that somehow we can legislate and regulate our country back to health.  Rather than put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our only Savior, we’ve adopted the notion that we can put our faith and trust in our government and our politicians to make things right…to somehow “save” us.

It’s time for us to get our priorities straight.  It’s time that we realize once again that we are a Christian nation, founded on Christian principles, and – just like our National Motto states – realize that it is “In God We Trust”.

Psalm 33:12 says this:

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. (NKJV)

And 1 Peter 2:9 says this:

            But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light… (NKJV)

From the inception of our country, we have moved forward as a nation with the understanding that we do so under God’s guidance and by His principles.  Consider these words nestled in the fabric of the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

We need to remember that our rights do not come from the government – they come from God.  Our freedom does not come from those from either political party – they come from the One who created us. 

John 1:3 reminds us of this:

            All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (NKJV)

Everything that exists is here because God willed it to be here.  You and I are not here by accident – we were created with a purpose.  The same goes for our country – it is not here by accident.  We’re not perfect, but the truth is that there is no other nation like ours on the face of the planet.  Our country has been the recipient of God’s incredible blessings, His outstanding mercy, and His amazing grace – I believe, because we have been a nation that has been unashamed to make the LORD our God.  There are people, within our borders and beyond our borders, who would do anything they can to silence our message and force us into conformance.  They tried blatantly on September 11, 2001, and they found that a “full frontal” attack won’t work against our great nation.  Yet, they continue, attempting to erode away our very foundation from within, exchanging absolute truth with relative truth…reducing morality to what can be legislated…and numbing us to just how dark evil can be.

God shares some important wisdom, though, in Proverbs 12:3 –

            A person cannot stand firm on a foundation of wickedness, and the roots of righteous people cannot be moved. (GW)

…and Proverbs 10:25 –

            When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation. (NKJV)

…and Proverbs 24:3 –

            It takes wisdom to build a house, and understanding to set it on a firm foundation. (Message)

As we pause this weekend to reflect on the events of September 11, 2001, let’s take that time to remember the great foundation upon which our nation has been built…and then get on our knees in prayer, seeking God’s face, turning from our wicked ways, and trusting that God will hear us, forgive us, and heal our land. ( 2 Chronicles 7:14 )  May this weekend be a call to action for God’s people throughout our country to take our relationship with Him seriously and to commit to protecting the foundation of our nation, realizing that it is in God we trust.

Have a blessed day and a weekend full of remembrance,

–Pastor John