9/11. Those two numbers say it all. Twenty-four years ago, an act of Islamic terrorism was perpetrated on American soil. It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a quarter of a century ago. For those of us who were teens or adults at the time, it’s hard for us not to feel as if it was just a short time ago.
“At approximately 8:46 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in higher floors.
“… Then, 17 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767—United Airlines Flight 175—appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center, and sliced into the south tower at about the 60th floor. The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and the streets below. America was under attack.
“As millions watched in horror the events unfolding in New York, American Airlines Flight 77 circled over downtown Washington, D.C. and slammed into the west side of the Pentagon military headquarters at 9:37 a.m. Jet fuel from the Boeing 757 caused a devastating inferno that led to a structural collapse of a portion of the giant concrete building. All told, 125 military personnel and civilians were killed in the Pentagon along with all 64 people aboard the airliner…
“Meanwhile, a fourth California-bound plane—United Flight 93—was hijacked about 40 minutes after leaving Newark International Airport in New Jersey. Because the plane had been delayed in taking off, passengers on board learned of events in New York and Washington via cell phone and Airfone calls to the ground. Knowing that the aircraft was not returning to an airport as the hijackers claimed, a group of passengers and flight attendants planned an insurrection. One of the passengers, Thomas Burnett, Jr., told his
wife over the phone that “I know we’re all going to die. There’s three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you, honey.” Another passenger—Todd Beamer—was heard saying “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll” over an open line. Sandy Bradshaw, a flight attendant, called her husband and explained that she had slipped into a galley and was filling pitchers with boiling water. Her last words to him were “Everyone’s running to first class. I’ve got to go. Bye.”
“The passengers fought the four hijackers and are suspected to have attacked the cockpit with a fire extinguisher. The plane then flipped over and sped toward the ground at upwards of 500 miles per hour, crashing in a rural field in western Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m. All 45 people aboard were killed. Its intended target is not known, but theories include the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, or one of several nuclear power plants along the eastern seaboard.”1
Reading back over the account causes memories of the horrific pictures to flash across the screen of my mind. Audio of people screaming in terror are amplified by the images of people jumping from the tower to their death, the towers collapsing, the gaping hole in the Pentagon, and the images that came out of Pennsylvania.
September 11, 2001, began as a normal day for these people. They went to work, boarded a plane, and did the things they had been doing countless days before. This day, though, was going to be like no other.
A total of 2,977 people were not going home. Instead, they were whisked into eternity. The number included 343 NYFD firefighters. The collateral damage included nearly 80,000 people who were diagnosed with disease or illness from the dust, smoke, debris and trauma of the events. There is no way to calculate how many more thousands suffered and grieved over the dead and dying.
I’m sure that for years after WWI, WWII, and other famous battles that people remembered and relived the horrors and heroics of the day. They tried to keep the memory alive so that we might never forget the atrocities of one human against another held up in contrast to the sacrificial love of one human for another as they attempted to save those in harm’s way.
Romans 13:7 says, “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” There is no expiration date on honoring others, especially those who have given so much.
Hebrews 11 serves as a memorial for those who served the Lord in faith. ALL of those characters died. Some died while giving their all and we recognize them as martyrs. We never worship the fallen. We simply pay tribute as an ongoing reminder that they gave their lives so that we could live with a faith established upon a foundation of blood, primarily the blood of Jesus Christ.
As we remember those who have sacrificed their lives for others, let’s also remember 1 John 3:16. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
1https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/september-11/attack-on-america
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