Ten Years Later...

I was sitting at my desk at work that Tuesday morning when Missy came in to tell me and Gail that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center Towers.  What?  How could that happen?  Then the second tower was hit.  And still it didn't register for me.  Because really, who could imagine such intentional horror?  But then the news came that the Pentagon was hit, and I was scared.  I finally understood that our country was under attack, and if they could get to our military headquarters, then we weren't safe.  I needed to see Brent, but he was in class at the law school, and there was no way to get in touch with him.

Ten years later, I still remember every detail of that morning.  And I remember that for the rest of the week we were pretty worthless at work.  We were glued to a small portable TV Gail brought in watching days and days of news coverage.

Ten years later, I have an 8 year old who wants to know all about 9-11.  He's a very mature 8 year old asking very mature questions that deserve honest answers.  And that is what we have been giving him.  The discussions started last week as the students at Jack's school were being prepared for a special remembrance Mass on Friday.  The facts were easily to explain...19 terrorists, 4 planes, 2 towers, 1 pentagon, and 3,000 innocent lives lost.  But the "Why would anyone do that?"  I don't think there will ever be an answer for that one.  The best I could come up with is Evil.  There is evil in this world.  The discussions of 9-11 with Jack led him to want to know about other sad and tragic times in our country's history.  So Brent and I went through all of the dark days in our country's past that we could think of and explained why each event was so sad.  But we were also able to share the bravery, resiliency, and patriotism of our nation's citizens during each event.  How the passengers of Flight 93 became aware that our nation was under attack and as a group fought back against that evil.  And in doing so taught the rest of us that we are all responsible for standing up in the face of evil.  At the school Mass on Friday, Father spoke with the children about free will, God’s gift to us, and the choice we make between behaviors of love and evil.


God's faithfulness to our country was evident to me this morning during Mass.  In the Catholic church, the scripture readings are planned out in a 3 year cycle, meaning that the scripture we were reading today was ordained to be read years ago.  Today's scriptures were about forgiveness.  Father taught about what forgiveness is and is not.  Forgiveness is not about feelings.  Forgiveness is not about forgetting.  Forgiveness is about letting go of the tight grip to hatred and revenge.  Forgiveness is the decision to move forward.  Forgiveness is about working to restore relationships.  It was a beautiful Mass, and I knew it was not a coincidence.  God was speaking to His people.  The closing hymn was America the Beautiful, sung with such emotion by the congregation, that the hairs on my arms stood straight up.

Ten years later, I haven't forgotten.  I will never forget the horrific Evil I witnessed that day.  I will never forget the lives lost on 9-11 or during the years since.  And while I don't think I'll ever be able to answer the "Why?", I know the Lord is asking me to forgive.  To let go of the hatred and need for revenge.  To restore relationships.  So I will pray.  I will pray that those that are in the grip of that Evil will come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  And that we will all be forgiven and healed.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

2 Chronicles 7:14