Where Were You When the World Stood Still?

It is hard to believe that 21 years ago today that the towers fell in New York City. The terrorists even attacked the Pentagon and lives were changed there. What is even more staggering is the 3,000 lives including an unborn child vanished as the world watched.

For the current generation, we will be asked where we were when our country was attacked by an ideology born of hatred. Sometimes we figure out a way to answer that question, especially for any Generation Zoomers and the next generations to come as they learn about this dark moment in U.S. History.

For me, I remember wrapping up my religion lesson while attending Catholic school. As our math lesson was about to get under, the principal came on the PA system and asked for everyone’s undivided attention.

After a brief pause, “Our country was attacked” 

As she was saying those words, I heard the anguish and sorrow in her voice. The entire building fell silent. I remember looking around the room and everyone's heart sank. Even some looked down in defeat. I was dismissed early from school and as I walked into my house I had to watch the events unfold. The TV was on for the rest of the day. I can even remember one anchor, the late Peter Jennings, tearing up live over the tragedy. 

Every year, I look back and tell from detail to detail everyone where I was. It’s nostalgic to think of where I was on this dark day in history. It is also a part of my history. 

My grandparents would tell me where they were when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7th, 1941. For my parents, it was the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

These events are tragic in a sense. At the same time, it teaches us to call on God to help us heal from atrocities while we strive to be peacekeepers.

Yes, let us never forget the lives lost. Let us also continue to strive to come together to help and love our neighbor and the stranger that is among us.

Today, let us pause, reflect, and pray for a better tomorrow. Let us continue to ask God to heal our land broken and beaten from terrorism, abortion, and sins against the flesh.

Let us strive to be people of God’s kingdom. Let us strive to allow God to heal our land by calling on his name and rejecting satan.