9/11 memories

A day of reflection. 9/11. Who cannot help but reflect when this day arrives? It is true that there are those who never lived through this day. Those born after 2001. There are no students in our school that were here on that day. Consider that those who are 17 and younger were born after that fateful day in 2001. It is hard to imagine that what we lived through is nothing more than a history lesson. And even then, who knows how it will be taught in schools around the nation and around the world. Is it a day of infamy? Or what kind of day is it?

A sunny day, apple butter time at Bethlehem Lutheran, Ferrin, IL. Apples peeled. Fires started. Kettles on. Apples poured in the kettles. Sun coming up. Blue skies. Rachael and Matthew were ready for school and wandered out to be with the folks cooking. Fun times. A grand day. The smell of wood fire in the air. This is what life is all about.

Then the reminder, life is not so beautiful. The shock. Disbelief. What happened? An accident? One plane, maybe. Then the 2nd plane. Complete shock. Watching the news feeds showing the second plane going into the second tower. What? How? Why? Who? So many questions. So much confusion. This shouldn't be happening. It couldn't be happening. What can I do? What can I say? Um, I don't know.

And then, shock of all shock. Watching as one tower begins to collapse, then the other. Hearing of the Pentagon. Hearing of the plane in Pennsylvania. What is happening? Is this just the beginning? Is there going to be more? Planes grounded. People stuck in cities, countries, that they did not plan to be stuck in. What were they going to do? What were we going to do?

Prayers. Lots of prayers. Gathering children together at Trinity Lutheran School, Hoffman, IL. Talking, praying, reaching out with the love of Christ.

There it is. There is what was needed. Not rhetoric. Not speeches. Not let's go get them, whoever they are. But Christ. Only the love of Christ could cover the pain of the day. That shouldn't surprise us. It is the love of Christ that covers the pain of any tragedy, any death. It is a reminder of our great need for the Savior, for His presence in our lives. We need. And that which we need is Christ!

He knows the hurt. He knows the shock. He knows what we are going through - then and now. It is only Christ that helps us through the pain and loss of death, through the sting of death. And it does sting. Knowing that all those folks died in an instant when the planes went into the buildings. Knowing that there were people in the buildings when they collapsed. Hearing of the heroics of emergency personnel that were there to save people only to lose their lives. The crushing agony of the great loss of life. Lord, wrap Your arms around us, for we are in shock.

Still in shock. Perhaps not from the event of 9/11/01 but from the events of today. The accident, the surgery, the illness, the betrayal, the actions of those around, actions that are unkind, nasty, upsetting. The world we live in. Only the arms of the Lord, arms that have nail scarred hands, wrapped around us can help us through the moment, the pain, the suffering, the shock. Only hearing the words form the lips of the Savior, the One who gave His life upon the cross for wretched sinners, sinners who would kill others. Wretched sinners who treat others with disdain. Wretched sinners who speak words that hurt, that maim and that destroy the life of the person who is at the center of such actions.

Yes, the Savior, Jesus Christ. His love. His presence. His life. His death. His resurrection. That needs to be the focus of our remembrance. Share that news. Share that love. Live in Him. We see what happens when we don't live in Christ. We see lives ruined, destroyed, people crushed, hurt, walking shells of what they used to be - all because of sinful people like you and me.

Lord, forgive. Forgive me. Forgive my anger. Forgive my hate. Forgive my unkind words. Forgive my selfish actions. Forgive. And lead me to forgive. Lead me to love. Help me.

Yes, remembering 9/11. It is important. We cannot forget. We will not forget. But we also must let the love of Christ cover it. We must not forget, we cannot forget His love. Apply Christ to your memory. Apply Christ to your actions. For Christ is all in all.

We need Christ.