A Pastor's Reflection on 9/11, Twenty-Five Years Later
A Pastor's Reflection on 9/11, Twenty-Five Years Later
by Pastor Carlos Ramirez
Oh Lord, Heal our Land.
I was five years old on September 11, 2001 and my family was living in Puerto Rico at the time. I honestly don't remember where I was that morning. But I remember that night vividly. We were all at my grandmother's house, and every adult in the room had their eyes locked on the TV. Some were crying, but most were praying and processing.
Meanwhile, my cousins and I were running around like it was any other family gathering. I didn't understand what had happened that day until much later.
A few years after that, my family moved to Central Florida. A lot of my middle school teachers were transplants from New York. Some of them had been in the city that day. Some had lost family in the attacks. Hearing their stories is when it started to become real for me.
And if I'm being honest, the more I understood about 9/11 as I got older, the more it unsettled me. Every anniversary brought a mix of sadness and confusion. But mostly it raised questions like, How could God allow this tragedy to happen? Could it happen again? Could it happen here?
That fear didn't go away on its own. What changed things for me was clinging to Jesus during these unsettling moments and actually opening His Word. That's when I ran into verses like this one:
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." — 2 Timothy 1:7
I needed that. I still do. Fear is not something God hands out. Power, love, and a clear mind are. And when the world feels shaky, I keep coming back to Psalms like this one: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way." (Psalm 46:1–2)
Today, on the 25th anniversary, I find myself in a place I never would have imagined as that five-year-old kid. I'm a pastor in a suburb of New York City. I now know and minister to people who were in Manhattan that morning. I know people who lost friends and coworkers. I know people who still carry it. People who vividly remember the events of that day. And I consider it a genuine honor to be their pastor, co-worker, and friend.
I also want to say something about the first responders and the service members who ran toward the danger that day. Whether they knew it or not, they were living out the words of Jesus:
"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." — John 15:13
Their courage is humbling. And honestly, their bravery and willingness to run towards danger in order to serve others is inspiring to me as someone who serves in the church.
I know a lot of members of Generation Z weren't around for 9/11, or were too young to remember it, like I was. That's okay. You don't have to personally remember it to honor it. Scripture tells us to "mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15), and that's something every one of us can do today, regardless of age. Sit with someone who was there. Ask them their story. Ask good questions and listen.
Something that I’ve been learning a lot from my friends in the counseling space is that healing takes time. And even though we are 25 years removed from that horrific day, there is still more healing that Jesus wants to offer us: individually and corporately. Would we ask the Lord for his healing touch today? I invite you to pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 with me.
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." — 2 Chronicles 7:14
May God heal our souls.
May God heal our country.
May God heal our land.
May God heal our hearts.
He's close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). He was there on September 11, 2001, and He still is here with us today.
Photo by Roman Koester on Unsplash (2018)