The aftermath of 9/11

Last Monday was Patriot Day, also known as the anniversary of 9/11. Did you take time this past week to reflect on the events that led up to this tragedy? Innocent civilians were savagely murdered by Islamic extremists. Up until that time, many Americans did not take the threat of terrorism too seriously -- even though we had been warned. We were confident that our battles would always be fought on foreign soil.

There were some who blamed the victims. The United States, the melting pot of the world, was not deserving of punishment for our way of life. Our freedoms were weaponized against us by those who wanted to harm us. Instead of pointing out the true evil of the mindset that led to such behavior, we began to lose our freedoms. Do you remember what it was like to fly before 9/11?

I worked at the St. Louis airport, for a vending company, when I was in college. I loved seeing welcome parties in the terminals who greeted soldiers, family travelers and missionaries. At the same time, I was aware of how vulnerable our airports were. I had a good relationship with the people working the gates, and they would often let me go through without unloading my cart to X-ray boxes of candy and chips.

TSA workers are the first line of defense against terrorism. Nowadays, they have no choice but to treat everyone with suspicion. I do not enjoy feeling like a suspect when I go through security checkpoints. Our only choice, if we want to board an airplane, is to sacrifice freedom for safety. We live in a sinful world, so we need the good guys to stop the bad guys. Unfortunately, the rules put in place to protect us can end up making us more dependent on others.

Do you remember feeling overwhelmed during 9/11? Perhaps you have experienced other traumatic events that caused you to feel hopeless. What do you do in those times? When I think about the following week after September 11, 2001, I remember the churches being full of people seeking for answers.

Many of us thought we were seeing the beginning of a revival, but it did not last long. So many things changed after that horrific tragedy, but church attendance did not remain one of them. For a season, many religions came together for prayer and emotional support. Billy Graham spoke at one of the televised prayer services and explained the hope we have as Christians.

It is sad that it takes a crisis for people to turn to faith. Even so, there is something in our human nature that causes us to seek out others. On that day, many called their loved ones to see if they were OK. Imagine, at this time 22 years ago people were still searching to find lost family members. There were 2,997 victims who died and many others who were injured or who sustained long-term health issues.

We reflect on the heroes who died that day trying to save lives. There were EMTs, paramedics, police officers and many firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice. It is important to remember these people dedicate their lives for our good.

The reality of evil drove people to seek God even if it was just for a moment. Our job as followers of Christ is to tell the story of the gospel to everyone so that they may have a personal relationship with God. Hebrews 13:6 says, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"

Matthew 10:28 puts it this way, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." God will punish those who commit such atrocities.

Our prayer is that people will follow laws, and that righteousness will triumph over evil. The objective of terrorism is to destroy our way of life. People of faith should exemplify living life to the fullest. Those seeking answers to life's most difficult questions do the right thing when they turn to a Bible believing church.