Sept. 11, 2001. I had just sat down at my desk after battling rush hour Atlanta traffic before getting to the office. I was sorting through my emails when I heard a commotion outside my office, but I did not bother to look up from the computer screen. It wasn’t until a co-worker stopped at my door, her face pale as a ghost, that I stopped what I was doing.
“Come. An airplane flew into the Twin Towers.”
I jumped to my feet and joined her as we rushed to the conference room, which was full of employees from every department by that time. The large television displayed the infamous scene, as flames and smoke came out of one of the World Trade Center towers.
The news anchor tried to make sense of what happened. Did the pilot have a heart attack? Did the plane lose an engine during takeoff?
We watched aghast, as several minutes went by.
My eyes were glued to the television screen when United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. It was 9:03 am, only 17 minutes after American Airlines Flight 11 hit the first tower.
I gasped for air and my friend screamed. Several others raised their voices, in disbelief.
It was not an accident. Someone had declared war against the United States of America.
Most everyone who lived through Sept. 11, 2001, knows exactly where they were and what they were doing when al-Qaeda terrorists attacked our nation.
I remember leaving my office to join my husband at his workplace. As a new American resident, fear gripped my heart.
An eerie silence fell over the nation. Planes could not fly for several days. Landmarks closed to the public, and sporting events were canceled. In some cities, streets leading up to various institutions closed to traffic. When they reopened, there was heightened security everywhere.
We would never be the same.
As I type these words, memorial services are happening on Ground Zero in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, as family and friends of the victims remember that dreadful day and gather to honor loved ones. Sept. 11 has indeed become a solemn and sacred day in the United States.
But perhaps the most impressive memory for a (then) young and brand-new American citizen, were the days following the horrific events from 9/11. I remember President George W. Bush’s address to a joint session of Congress and the nation, where, for the only time before or since, I witnessed both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans representatives alike, standing united. There were no arguments, nor politics. Pain and suffering brought the nation together, on the streets as well as Capitol Hill.
The next Sunday, traffic was heavy on our way to church. Everyone found their way to their places of worship. America needed the peace and assurance that the God who blessed and protected it for so many decades was still in control.
I believe the same happens to every nation and every person affected by tragic circumstances, for tragedy has the power to bring all matters into perspective.
When our security is compromised, things that we usually fight for, become irrelevant. Even the most pragmatic person may find himself calling out to God when the rug is pulled from under his feet.
Indeed, the memory of 9/11 and its aftermath gave me pause this week.
I could not help but wonder what our society would look like if we lived every day with the same humility, urgency and dependence upon God as we experience during tragic times?
I wonder what our lives would look like if we embraced each day as if it were the last? Would petty feelings toward someone remain? Would division, judgment and political or moral disagreements be the reason we don’t extend our hands to love those who hurt?
I think not.
Only the power of love and solidarity can lose tragedy’s grip. May we be challenged to pray and reach out to those affected by it, long after the dust settles. May we remember to depend on God, long before tragedy knocks on our doors.
Patricia Holbrook is a columnist, author, blogger and international speaker. Visit her website www.soaringwithHim.com. For speaking engagements and comments, email pholbrook@soaringwithHim.com
