Never Forget

This past July, Nicole and I went to New York City for our anniversary. While we where in New York we visited ground zero, the site where the World Trade Center towers once stood. They are currently building a tower on that site called the Freedom tower as way of remembering and honoring all the people who lost their lives and the survivors of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

One of the things that I always struggle with is how we remember and honor these people on September 11th and everyday each year. I don't think that we need to go back to the pain and the hurt of that day. I don't think we need to see the pictures and the video again. I don't think we need to seek retribution or revenge either. I don't think we honor anyone or remember what we need to remember if we generate more pain, hurt or hate.

Honoring and remembering should help us with our hurt and pain. Honoring and remembering should ease our grief and move us forward not backward. We should never forget the 3000 children of God that lost their lives that day. We should never forget the people who continue to struggle with the loss of loved ones and who struggle to move forward from September 11, 2001. We need to honor all as we remember. We need to never forget the love that was expressed and shared by strangers. We need to never forget the way neighbors helped neighbors and the way ordinary people loved in extraordinary ways. We need to never forget that God did not abandon us or do this to us but God was there in the midst of the tragedy experiencing the pain and grieving with us. God was there in the love that was expressed. God was there in the courage that was shown. God was there leading through the valley of the shadow of death. And continues to be here for us. We need to remember and never forget the way that we came together as a country around a common love for one another.

Sunday at church we are going to remember 9/11 by celebrating our everyday heroes. One of the things that came out of the events of September 11, 2001 is that we recognized that we had ordinary heroes around us everyday. People who are willing to lay down their lives, who dedicate their lives, to serving and helping other. We saw on September 11th that there were people who risked, and some who gave, their lives to help others. Firefighters, police officers, Medical personnel and members of the armed services all selflessly give of themselves to serve us everyday. As we never forget we are going to honor and celebrate our everyday heroes.

As I remember today, I want to thank God for all those people who are the unsung heroes among us. I want to thank God for giving us the eyes to see him even in the midst of one of our nations biggest tragedies. I thank God for his healing and for his leading us and guiding us forward. I thank God that he wipes our tears. I thank God that he has overcome this world so that we too can overcome. I thank God that he works through people, ordinary people like you and me. I thank God for doctors, nurses, EMS workers, police officers, firefighters, and our service men and women who serve our communities everyday. I hope that you will never forget and that you would celebrate and remember the good and the God that we are more aware of because of September 11, 2001. I hope you can make your way to a place of worship this weekend to remember, honor, and celebrate. Please, pray for those that continue to hurt. If you don't have a church home and you are near Trenton, MO, I invite you to come and celebrate with us. All are welcome.

Take some time to intentionally love your neighbors.

Love today.

In Christ's love and mine,

Doug