Friday, September 11, 2009

911 Memories

Just a few thoughts on that awful/glorious day

"GLORIOUS" is a word that perhaps is not associated with that day, but I use it because a lot of miraculous things happened.

First and foremost, we saw how vulnerable we really are. As a result, certain security measures which should have been there in the first place were re evaluated and put in place. It's not perfect by a long shot, but we're dealing with imperfect human beings here.

It was glorious to see New Yorkers of every race color creed neighborhood come together for one brief moment and to recognize our common humanity. In a city as big as NYC you can forget that commodality and become stuck and polarized within your own neighborhood. People were actually helping each other, comforting each other , TALKING to each other! which brings me to my next point...

For one brief moment, all the NOISE of our cell phones televisions and electronic devices were cut off and as a result we were FORCED to confront and establish contact with another flesh and blood human being. Families starting talking together and re establishing contacts, old scores were settled and apologies were made.

We really thought were going to die that day.

I recall,with much heartache whether or not I should put my dog to sleep in order to spare him intense physical pain and mental suffering.


I remember being in the BOROUGH PARK section of Brooklyn, on my way to a computer class where I would be learning Photoshop Quark and Illustrator. The Smoke of the towers had already reached that remote park of Brooklyn and documents from peoples computers had blown literally across the water, and were raining down on me like confetti from a tickertape parade for The New York Yankees. I remember one man running up to me holding a page from a document that had been on somebody's desk in Manhattan minutes before.

We really thought we were going to die that day.

The indescribable feeling of death was literally in the air and the anxiety of that reality could be seen on every face.

As a believer in Christ A Scripture from Hebrews 9:27,28 came to mind


And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

As I had put my trust in Christ for eternal salvation, There was a place on the inside of me that felt settled and anchored, an assurance that i would go to meet my Lord who I had trusted, very soon. And As My thoughts turned to my family, I said prayers for them and had the same assurance for them, as they had trusted their lives to him also.

Yeah, I'm preaching here.

In fact, during this period, there was a LOT of preaching going on in the city and that preaching, and those prayers were GLADLY received. It's easy to be an agnostic or atheist, while you're in Starbucks sipping your latte and eating your bagel, but when the rubber hits the road, and your LIFE is about to end, you start thinking about what's on the other side, and maybe those "religious fanatics" Like me, are right after all.

We All Didn't die that day....
In fact,
many of us
began to Live.


FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD
THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
THAT WHO SOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM
SHOULD NOT PERISH
BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE

JOHN 3;16

It aint just a banner at a football game folks.