9/11 thoughts

8 years ago today I was just getting ready for work when I received a call to turn on the television. When I turned it on, I saw a smoking building and a plane fly into a second building. It was surreal, but I remember gasping and wondering what in the world was going on.

Many people can remember where they were and the emotions it evoked. Some were angry, some were grieved. I was sort of numb. It didn’t really affect me personally. I was 3000 miles away. Eventually, I discovered there were second and third hand people that were on a plane or in the building, but still then, it didn’t affect me internally.

The thing that affected me the most was the way people joined together after the event. There was a downplay of socio-economic differences and an upsurge in American pride. Everyone could rally around fallen firefighters and police officers. Everyone could rally around lives unjustly taken. The differences just didn’t matter anymore. I was excited to see people together. Different people celebrating lives and heroes. It was awesome.

Now, I am not a particularly patriotic guy. You won’t find a flag shirt in my closet or a bumper sticker on my car. And even during the 9/11 emotion, I didn’t get caught up in the “Go Team” patriotism. Maybe it comes from my Canadian roots, or from my tendency not to root for the favorite. I don’t know. What I did learn from 9/11, however, is that I wish the church could have the same flavor as the post-9/11 America did. Let’s drop our differences and rally around the kingdom. Let’s change our perspective from me to the body. Let’s open our eyes and see our neighbors. Forget the trivial things and remember sacrifice and resurrection. Let’s celebrate that the kingdom is here and is arriving more every day. If it requires me to wear a ridiculously tacky shirt, I will.