Remembering 9/11

Today is the five year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I didn't know anyone personally who was lost in the attack, but like everyone else, it affected me deeply.

My friends and I were talking over lunch yesterday about how we first found out about the attack. I was listening to Fox and Friends while shaving and getting ready for a day of teaching (it was my fifth year teaching at Harding Univ). I remember one of the hosts saying that they thought a plane had struck one the Twin Towers. I ran over to the TV and couldn’t believe the site... what kind of horrible pilot would make such a huge mistake? I watched for a little while and then witnessed the second tower being hit; this was no accident. There wasn't anyone around to talk to about it (my roommate had already left), so I raced over to the office and found Dana Steil (a colleague of mine in the CS department) who hadn't heard about it. Dana turned on the radio, and I just sat at my desk wondering what was going on. A few minutes later we went to chapel, and I think I remember President Burks announce what was happening, and we prayed for quite a while about the situation. I don’t really remember what happened the rest of the day... it’s a fog.

Although I normally avoid the many 9/11 shows and movies that come out near the anniversary, I decided to see the World Trade Center (starring Nicholas Cage) this weekend after several friends had recommended it. Becky and I were genuinely moved by the courage of the men and women who ran into a huge disaster just to complete strangers. I especially liked the Dave Karnes character who, feeling that God was calling him to action, raced to Ground Zero from his home in Connecticut to search for survivors after everyone else had called it a day.

It’s tough to watch parts of this movie, but you will definitely leave the theatre knowing that courage and goodness are not in short supply in America.

May God bless and comfort those who are still deeply scared by these attacks.