In 2004, I was Executive Director at St. James Lutheran Church in Shawano. Most weeks I typed up an article for the weekend bulletin, including the weekend of 9/11 & 9/12 of that year. I saved a copy of that article and some of the things I wrote back then still hold true today.

Pastor Michael Schram (who was a pastor at St. James at that time) had shared the following e-mail with me entitled “Cute Story”:

Some people understand life better.  And they call some of these people retarded.  At the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash.

At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win.  All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry.  The other eight heard the boy cry.  They slowed down and looked back.  Then they all turned around and went back…every one of them.  One girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.”

Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line.  Everyone in the stadium stood, the cheering went on for several minutes.  People who were there are still telling the story.  Why?  Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in life is more than winning for ourselves.  What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course.

According to Snopes.com, that story is only partially true. A little boy did fall, but only a couple of the competitors came back to help him while the rest continued the race. The point of the story remains true – it sets an example for how we should react to the fallen.

In August 2016, in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, during an Olympic 5,000-meter dash, American Abbey D’Agostino did something similar. She accidently caused an incident with fellow runner, New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin, that caused both of them to tumble to the ground. Nikki recalls lying on the pavement when she felt Abbey’s hand on her shoulder, and the encouragement, “Get up. We have to finish this.” Abbey and Nikki then finished the race together.

Today marks the 15^th anniversary of the tragic events on September 11, 2001. Terrorists committed a series of very vile and heinous acts against Americans right here in our own land.  The World Trade Center is attacked and destroyed.  The Pentagon is attacked.  Another plane, bound most likely for the Capitol in Washington D.C. was brought down.  Many people lost their lives that day, and many others that survived still have physical and emotional scars.  Most of you probably remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news. Most people also remember where they were when JFK was shot and when the Challenger space shuttle exploded.  It’s amazing our memory recall when it comes to tragic events.

I believe the intent of the attacks was to destroy our way of life.  They were meant to leave us cowering in fear, to make us waver in our beliefs, including our belief in God, and to change our way of life.  They succeeded, didn’t they?  We did change.  But we didn’t change in the way they wanted.  Instead of falling apart, we banded together.  Patriotism increased.  There weren’t partisan bickerings and political maneuverings.  There weren’t Republicans and Democrats and Independents.  There were only Americans.  United in purpose.  United in our belief that we would persevere.  Once again, for the most part, we were again the United States of America and we linked arms with our neighbor and those that had fallen and walked together.  The wake up call was heard loud and clear: “Get up. We have to finish this.”

Church attendance increased.  People across the nation turned back to God for strength and support.  If our neighbor stumbled, we helped him.  If somebody needed a favor, we made time in our schedule to help.  We were determined not to let the terrorists win.  We were determined that this time complacency wouldn’t set in and our lives would make a difference.  This time we would slow down, change our course, and help others win.

Well, those resolutions for most people lasted only a short period of time.  Life has pretty much returned to pre-9/11 status for those non-military families.  Oh sure, we watch the terror alerts rise and fall; we are more conscious of those people around us; we watch our backs a little bit closer.  But in the end, for most Americans, the rat race started up again.  We have our own problems to deal with, our own bills to pay, our own heartaches to mend, our own investment portfolios to manage, and we are tired.  Turn on any news channel to learn about the Presidential race between Trump and Clinton and you will see the partisan bickerings have risen to a new level and we are no longer united as a nation. And I’m afraid to say that I think we’ve gotten a little bit complacent again.  I’m afraid most people are more concerned about whether they win the race than if one of their neighbors has stumbled and fallen. The encouragement to, “Get up. We need to finish this” has dwindled.

As I write this, the Green Bay Packers are taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Before the game started, they unfurled the large American flag that covers the entire football field. It was encouraging and special to see the football players from both teams holding the edges of the flag and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with members of the military, police, firefighters, first responders, and other heroes. The National Anthem was played on a saxophone. You can’t help but feel a special sense of pride and be grateful to God that we still live in the greatest nation on earth.

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In “God Knew”, I share the stories with you about the final days my Mom and Dad had on this earth. They both were enduring physical pain and suffering and I am certain their faith was also under attack. Mom had even questioned why God was allowing all of this to happen to her. But we also know that God is always in control. Our Pastors and I were able to read Scripture and hymn verses to them, and share quite a few moments of prayer. Although both of them were unresponsive at the end, I know they heard us and it helped lift them up. We were able to encourage their faith to, “Get up. We have to finish this.” And they did. I know the Holy Spirit sustained their faith until the end and they are in Heaven right now with their Savior.

After Mom died, I recalled the time of feeling so despondent I thought my life was over and I didn’t want to go on. God was right there with me and used certain events to encourage me to, “Get up. We have to finish this.” And I did.

Some people may wonder, “Did God know what was going to happen on 9/11/2001?” The easy answer is, “Yes, God knew.” The follow up question is usually, “If God did know what was going to happen, why didn’t He stop it?” The equally easy answer is, “I don’t know; I’m not God.” What tragedies and hurts have you experienced in life that have caused your faith to falter or fail? Illness? Death of a loved one? Betrayal by a close friend or family member? Did God know all of those things would happen? Yes, God knew. Why didn’t God stop the hurts? Only God knows. Who knows why you weren’t on one of the airplanes or in the Twin Towers on 9/11/01? God knew. Through faith, we know that whatever it is, God is in control and He is right there by your side, ready to help you. God was by the side of each victim of 9/11, whether they realized it or not. He promised in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” In Psalm 23 we can say with King David, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Christian family and friends are great in helping deal with the less than pleasant experiences in life. The promises of the Bible, where God speaks to you, are even greater encouragement to, “Get up. We have to finish this.”

We live in the post-9/11 era.  Our brave men and women of the armed forces are fighting to make sure the freedoms we’ve come to know and love remain.  And remember, freedom isn’t free.  It comes with a price.  Sometimes that price is life itself.  Just ask Jesus.  He gave up His life in order to free us from sin, death, and the power of the devil.  He comes to us in our sin with His nail pierced hands to give us a hug when we are down and says, “This will make it better.”  Our military forces are fighting a tangible foe.  Christians aren’t quite as fortunate as we fight a spiritual foe that uses many disguises to lure us away from the truth.  Like the military, we need to stay vigilant, we need to stay strong, and we need to stay together.  We need to continue to uplift the fallen: “Get up. We have to finish this.” By the way, when you meet someone that was in or is in the military, thank them for their service.  In a similar way, when you meet someone in God’s service that helps show you The Way, thank God and thank them as well.

On the Last Day, wouldn’t it be great to link arms with your family, your friends, your fellow believers in the faith, and those people you witnessed to, and walk together into Heaven knowing that each of you is partly responsible for the other ones being there?  It doesn’t matter who gets there first, it just matters that we get there.  Won’t it be great to hear God say to you, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”?  Won’t it be great to look Jesus directly in the eye and know you did your best?  Won’t Heaven be a wonderful place to spend eternity?  See you there!

P.S. #1: there is a great poem called, “Meet Me In The Stairwell” that talks about how God was there in 9/11. There is another post called, “Where Was God?” talking about 9/11. You can read both of them by clicking here. God bless!

P.S. #2: here is a link to the video and song by Alan Jackson called, “Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?”

Scripture verses from ESV. Images taken from Pinterest.