"You can be sure that the American Spirit will prevail of this tragedy."
-Colin Powell
September 11, 2001.
It was my first day of college.
I was eager with anticipation to start what would be a great adventure of learning the teleological approach to the book of Revelations (you can place that statement under the subject “the things you learn in college that you will never use EVER again.”)
I remember I was in my parent’s basement as the horror unfolded.
I watch the second plane crash into the tower.
I, like the rest of the world was wrestling through shock and confusion as the day’s events began to unfold. I remember my dad called the house. “Go to the High School and pick up your sister!” Everyone was on the highest of alerts.
Now I know I’m not American but I’m not sure you’d have to be for your heart to resonate with the events that today represent. Today represents so many different things to so many different people. For some, it may represent loss and death. Others, it may represent a seed that has created certain ethnical biases in their life. I know that when I look at today, when I look at the big picture, I see how broken humanity is.
Now, for those of you who are tuning in today, you may or may not know my story or the whole idea behind the writings of these blogs. But for today’s purposes let me just share with you that I too include myself in the conversation of humanity and it’s brokenness. Not to draw any parallels that seem contrived or carry any sort of extreme significance of the happenings in New York fifteen years ago, but today also represents a three year journey for me and my family. It was three years ago today that the bottom fell out and my world came crashing down on me. Again, my heart isn’t to use the tragedy of other’s to bring platform to my own story… But, to me, its almost as if I have personal sense of how extreme being at the bottom on this particular day can really feel like.
So why post today?
I wanted to simply let you know that you have a choice today. Your heart has a choice on how to position itself in the worst circumstances that will inevitably come your way. I love the words of Joseph and his perspective in Genesis 50:20: “you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done...” It almost seems like quite the American mantra. What was planned for evil has, in some cases, rallied a country together in unity and in love. What happened in New York so many years ago was a terrible tragedy, but I’ve heard many stories as some people turned their hearts towards God and towards each other; they began to see the good that has grown out of one of history’s worst days.
Let me ask you, how’s your heart today? How are you dealing with those moments in your life that has left deep wounds? How have you decided to position yourself in grace and forgiveness and mercy towards those that have offended or upset your life with great measure? I know that the easy way out if to become callus, to became jaded and angry towards a person, a people group or a specific system. Believe me, I get those feelings.
I feel that God, in the fullness of his compassion and grace towards us, has shown us a better way. Today, in the reflection of our brokenness, I hear the echo of Christ’s words, “forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” It’s the pure love that says, “I know you’re damaged, but I still forgive you. I know you’re lost and confused and I have a better way forward for you.” As we become aware of what we are able to accomplish in our own broken state, we are able to see our deep need to develop the characteristics that Jesus showed as He walked through the most difficult season in His life, the one resulting in his brutal death. But just like Joseph said, what was ugly and horrible and meant for evil was turned on its head.
It’s in Resurrection that we find life.
It’s in the worst moment that we find the Hope of the world is realized.
So no matter what today represents for you, I pray that as you take inventory of your heart and remember that in the moments in life that you’d rather just simply forget, that grace would become more and more of your motivator. That as you deal with the good, bad and the ugly, you would be able to see that through it all, God has been calling out for you to come closer to His heart so as to shape you into the authentic you that He’s created you to be.
God Bless you today.
And yes, God Bless America.
