Tough to imagine, right? It has been a full 16 years since that Tuesday in September occurred. Many things have changed since then, and we have certainly not forgotten much about it. Each year social media is flooded with the sentiments of US of Americans stating to never forget, to honor, and come together as a people.
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I'm always fascinated to hear about where people were when they heard it, what they remember seeing, and what they thought or felt. For me, I was in fourth grade with a substitute teacher. We just got in from a morning recess to find the sixth grade class (which included my older brother) using our big new TV to watch the news coverage. Girls were crying, a guy in the back was saying how he thought we should just nuke 'em, and the rest of us kind of just stood there. Suddenly the issues at the football game we just played did not really matter. It was the first time I felt like that, even though I did not really understand what that was.
Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was grief. Perhaps anger? A strange concoction of all of those things, I'm sure. I remember going home that day and putting on all black simply because that's what I thought the army guys would wear when they helped with the rescuing of people that were trapped. I was certainly never going to forget that moment.
That moment in my history is a pivotal one, and it is the same for countless individuals as well. As we look back on it today, what do we take away from it? We say "never forget", and we do not, but does that necessitate never moving beyond the fear, grief, and anger we felt that morning? We talk about how we came together as a country in that time, but are we striving to do that each day in honor of that day? Another thing that stands out to me around this time each year is a couple of verses that, whether you follow a religion or belief system or not, I think we would all do well to remember.
Jesus (who regularly angered people because of what He said) said "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you" (Luke 6:27-36 is the entire thing. Check it out). Do we live out of fear or out of love? Do you wish well upon people who may not know you, you perceive to be different from you, perceive to be your enemies, or even actually are your enemy? In a time where people are attempting to flee horrid life situations, do we begrudgingly hold on to negative feelings of prior experience and ignore the needs in front of us? We are tempted to never forget and never forgive, but we can never move in a unified and healthy manner if we never forgive.
Remember to honor, remember to cherish, but also remember to love. Never forget does not mean to never forgive. That's the thing that can unite us in a time of great divide. That's the thing we owe each other.
So today, go ask someone their story of this day, and get to know them. Find someone different in view, opinion, or life as you and ask them. You may find that you have more in common than you ever thought possible. And love always.
