10 Years Later

There have been dozens of 9/11 stories on TV in the last month and I've avoided them all...until tonight.  I watched and cried again.  I know all of you remember that day and where you were.  I'd come home from an early morning prayer time with my friends and when I walked in the door, Andy told me a plane had flown into one of the twin towers in New York.  At that time, we didn't know it was terrorism.  I quickly called my prayer partners and told them to turn on their televisions.  After the 2nd airplane flew into the other twin tower, we knew our nation was under attack and we refused to move away from our TV--we had to know what was coming next.  There was no way to know who/what/where was going to be hit next...we were under attack!  We mournfully cheered for those brave men and women who took back Flight 93 and prevented an attack on the White House or capitol building.  It was a tragic day for our nation.

Several things stick out in my mind after that attack.  Mayor Giuliani and President Bush became leaders we trusted and needed at that time--they rose to the occassion.  We knew who our enemy was--Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.  We watched firemen and volunteers work tirelessly to rescue any possible survivors.  And people became very patriotic--flags were flying and even congressmen and senators spontaneously sang "God Bless America" on the steps of the capitol building in Washington D.C.  It was suddenly o.k. to mention God and Jesus and prayer.

What's happened since then?   Obviously, we fought a battle against Al Qaeda and killed Osama bin Laden.  But what's happened to us as Americans?  It's no longer politically correct to say we have an enemy.  In fact, it seems we've embraced our enemy's culture.

Is that what's happened to us as a church?  I feel a little like we've fallen asleep--myself included.  The tragedy is behind us and we've gone on with our day-to-day living...while our enemy roams around us seeking someone to devour.

How many major disasters have happened around our world in the last 10 years?  I'll let you google it--you'll be surprised.  There are floods in the east and droughts in the midwest.  There are fires in Austin and earthquakes in Denver.  And most of these disasters are being called "the worst in history."  But has God gotten our attention?  Or are we asleep?

I heard a firefighter tonight say, "I hope we don't forget."  I hope we don't either.  There are still people to be rescued.  They just aren't  in a towering inferno in New York City...they may live next door to you and me.

God's got my attention.