This is the day the world changed. If you are like me you can remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news that the United States was being attacked and the twin towers in New York city had been hit. It was 23 years ago but the memory is still strong. It was more than an attack. It was more than loss of life. It was more than building destruction although it was all those things. It changed the way we in North America view the world. It tilted our perspective to one of suspicion and fear. It changed how we cross the border, how we check in for flights, how we listen to the news. It changed us.
One of the messages that comes through so strongly in scripture in both Testaments is that we should not fear. It was practically Jesus’ theme song. “Fear not” is said over and over, yet fear is such a natural human response it is difficult to quell. September 11th not only created fear, it made us fear “those people”. As I type that I am not really sure who “those people” are other than they are people “different from us”.
Terrorism is a terrible scourge in our time. It is destructive and deadly and it is very fear inducing. It is hard to not fall under its thrall. Our challenge is to not let it overwhelm the goodness that is also an integral part of our world. We cannot let the threat of terrorism overpower the reality of the faithful, honest, reliable good people that are the majority in every nation and every culture. We have to face the reality that groups like ISIS are indoctrinating youth but we also have to hold firm to the truth that there are upstanding, responsible citizens in every country and culture around the world. Somedays, when listening to the news, that is hard to do but it is imperative that we keep a perspective on the truth of the world. There are things to fear but more importantly life is good and there is much to celebrate and be thankful for.
9/11 changed us but as individuals we can decide if it changed us for the better or not. I choose better.
