Remembering 9-11



"Blessed is the nation..."



In our Men’s Prayer Group this morning we sang, America the Beautiful. The less familiar third verse says, “O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life!” I thought, in general, of the 3000 people who were murdered eleven years ago. But I thought, in particular, of the many first responders—all those people who voluntarily placed themselves in harm’s way.

For all of us who were adults on this day eleven years ago, we will never forget their valor.

It’s remarkable to think back to how the country responded. We were united and we were humbled. There was wide-spread acknowledgment that—we need God. And people turned to God in prayer. Even our politicians. Even in Washington!

Eleven years later, in the midst of relative prosperity and safety, the old self-sufficiency has crept back in. There is not nearly as keen a national sense that we need God. And we are solidly in the grip of disunity.

Hmm? I wonder if there’s a pattern here? Humility and a wide-spread open recognition of our need for God produces—unity. Self-reliance, self-sufficiency and even eschewing God diminishes our national sense that we need God, and results in—disunity.

But I will always struggle to understand.

As the Islamist leaders openly acknowledge, “You love life; we love death.” Meanwhile, people continue to flock to this land of freedom and life. People continue to flee (or strive to) the oppressive, death loving regimes of the world.

In humility, and with a profound sense of reliance on God, the Psalmist said, “God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).