Never Forget
It was 25 years ago last Friday that planes were deliberately crashed into the two World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and another went down in rural Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against hijackers. Memorials were held at Ground Zero and many other locations, and the promise was again renewed to “never forget.”
Analysis and eternal perspective: It is a day that is impossible for me to forget even if I tried. It is difficult to believe that a quarter century has passed since the morning I evacuated the U.S. Capitol complex with shouts of “there is another plane in the air” in my ears. In the moment, I, like everyone around me, did not yet fully grasp what was happening, but it was a day that would forever change my life, and in fact the world.
Looking back, “evil” is really the only word to truly describe the events of that day. The human heart was created to be filled, and when it is not yielded to the Creator it is susceptible to being guided by dark forces. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
The actions of 9/11 were evil indeed, and at their core was a spiritual acquiescence to a power set against Truth. As we endeavor to “never forgot,” and as a growing percentage of the population know of that tragic day only through stories and history books, let us be sure to also remember the stark difference between a life and heart yielded to Jesus and one given over to the powers of this dark world.
Never forget. And let that remembrance guide you personally to the One who is stronger.