I remember exactly where I was on this date 13 years ago. I was a middle schooler, sitting in my social studies class pretending to pay attention to the teacher who was failing to keep us engaged on the days’ lesson.
Then we received the news. Our principal’s voice cut in through the loudspeaker, a much needed interruption for us and a sigh of relief for our teacher. He reported to us the events unfolding in downtown New York, a plane had crashed into one of the towers at the World Trade Center. He continued to keep us updated, reassuring us of our own safety. Parents began to take the children out of school. A heaviness replaced our classroom atmosphere.
Up until then I thought the World Trade Center was a mall. I had never been there and my guess was that now I would never get to see it. I didn’t grasp the magnitude of what was happening until I saw how one of my friends was affected by the news. She was frantic. Her father was flying back from a business trip and she feared that he was in one of those planes that crashed. Her mom came and took her out of school early. My heart sank. “Oh God” I thought “Please let him be ok.” My dad came and got my sisters and I out of school as well, I wasn’t sure why but I was relieved.
Sitting in my living room watching the news, praying for my friends father, listening as my father recounted how he was just at the center a week earlier touring the site with some visiting family members. Wow…only a week…that could have been our family grieving right now…Thank you God. I mustered the courage to call my friend, praying for that same grace to be given them. She answered, we spoke, her dad was ok, it wasn’t his plane, they were delayed but he would see them at home later that day…Thank you God.
I sat back on the couch and continued to watch as the scenes unfolded on the screen, my eyes welling up with tears “God, please have mercy”
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Abba Father,
Have mercy on your children who are mourning the loss of their loved ones today, comfort them with your comforting presence, heal every brokenness, uproot every bitterness, quench every anger…heal and make whole. For those who are questioning your existence in the light of this tragedy, for those who are asking how a good God can allow bad, Abba I pray for a special and unique encounter with you, that they may come to know truly who you are, that they may believe again. Have mercy on your nation America, use this day to turn our hearts back to you…cause us to humble ourselves, pray, seek your face, turn from our wicked ways…so that you may hear us, forgive us and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14) Holy Spirit have your way, In Jesus Name
