When the towers fell on Sept. 11, 2001, the impact was felt across our nation and continues to reverberate 25 years later.
In our family, my 18-year-old son stood in our living room and watched the chaos unfolding in New York. He said with heartfelt conviction, “Not again on my watch” and chose a career in national service.
A good friend of his since kindergarten expressed similar convictions and joined the military. In the subsequent war in Iraq, he was the first person from Oregon killed in the line of duty. I led his memorial service, sharing the speaking platform with then-governor of Oregon. So, in personal and profound ways, 9/11 impacted our family.
For me, the day started with a ride to the airport to catch a morning flight from Portland to Atlanta. In an era before phones became our persistent news feed, I was unaware of unfolding events until I arrived at a mostly empty airport. Even then, I wandered around trying to find someone who could explain why the flight information boards were blank. Finally, I turned a corner and caught a glimpse of a television screen with the towers burning. I was glad my flight never left! I still have the paper ticket for that trip as a memento of that fateful day.
The spiritual impact of 9/11 was felt in homes and churches and schools as people grappled with the power of evil and questions about God’s providence in such chaotic circumstances. The futility of trusting man-made institutions and depending on human ingenuity was underscored. Like many others, I turned to the Psalms for comfort and found hope in verses like these, “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of Jacob’s God protect you. … Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm.” (Psalm 20:1, 7-8).
When trouble comes, God is the ultimate First Responder. He runs toward trouble (and hurting people), not away from them. Chaos, turmoil and the destruction of whatever we take pride in or trust for protection shifts our focus back to God. Those things – like financial institutions, governmental power and corporate resources – all collapse and fall like those Twin Towers. But God still stands. He is an immovable Rock, neither diluted nor dissuaded by circumstances – no matter how evil they may be.
My hope is many Americans will reflect on 9/11 and be sobered by their memories. Those days demonstrated the power of raw evil. We saw the futility of trusting earthly power sources – including the Pentagon, a center of unspeakable power – which was also attacked that day. We were reminded of the fragility of life, the horror of death and the speed at which they crash together in tragedy. Those truly were dark days.
While 9/11 was a once-in-a-generation event, painful circumstances are an all-too-frequent occurrence for all of us. We face health crises, broken relationships, financial setbacks and untimely deaths. These are also dark days – on a more personal basis.
But out of all this, resolute hope emerges. We take solace and find protection in the name of our God – meaning His identity, reputation and character. When our situation – national or personal – is bleak, God is present. When chaos erupts, God remains unmovable. When the bottom falls out, He suspends and sustains us through it all. Whatever pain you are facing today, trust in God and declare with the psalmist, “we rise and stand firm.”
