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The spirit of 9-11

This past Tuesday was September 11th, the 17th anniversary of the attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C. and the skies over Shanksville, Pa. Like most, I had never feared or felt even the least bit vulnerable to such an attack in the United States. Everything changed that day.

My family and I were living in Staten Island, N.Y. at the time, though we were out of town. We were planning to drive back home the morning of the 11th. I was loading the minivan with our luggage when the events in Lower Manhattan were being broadcast on the TV. I stopped loading and stood slack-jawed in front of the TV. My 9 and 7-year-olds were silently trying to decipher what was happening. My confusion and anxiety didn’t help them.

It was a horrible day, but with the perspective time affords, the selfless heroism and providential grace comes into focus. Here are just a few examples.

The gallantry of first-responders is well documented. Nearly 300 first-responders lost their lives that day when they ran into the burning buildings and were unable to get out before they collapsed. Their efforts led to the rescue of thousands of people from the buildings.

The hours after the planes crashed into the Twin Towers witnessed one of the greatest, if not the greatest, urban rescue in the history of the world. Much of this was by dazed men and women, covered in ash, walking for hours. Many were helped along the way by anonymous good samaritans.

There was another aspect that we often overlook. There was a massive maritime evacuation. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, this operation was bigger than the evacuation of Dunkirk in World War II. Dunkirk was an evacuation of 380,000 disciplined soldiers over the course of a few days. A mixture of private vessels, ferries, and water taxis directed by the Coast Guard evacuated an estimated 500,000 people from Lower Manhattan over the course of hours.

These things are testaments to the valor and compassion of men and women for their fellow human beings. The light always shines brightly in the darkest moments.

The brightest light may have been God’s providential care in the lives of His people. I knew a couple of people who had plans to be in Lower Manhattan that morning but unscheduled delays kept them out of harm. The “I should have been there” stories were innumerable. The light always shines brightly in the darkest moments.

The light shone brightly into the days and weeks afterward. Tens of thousands of volunteers traveled to New York from all over the country to help in the rescue and cleanup effort. They selflessly exposed themselves to carcinogens and risked injury in the debris.

Hundreds of millions of dollars flowed into New York City. Much of this money was managed and distributed by churches in the region.

Restaurants in Lower Manhattan had to work hard to clean and get back to the point they could offer meals. Many of those restaurants offered meals for free to their only customers — rescue workers.

It was amazing to see the power of human kindness and divine grace come together in those harrowing days. The light, piercing the darkness, surely did shine brightly.

In memory of those lost, let’s revive the spirit of 9/11, not the hatred, prejudice and murder. Let’s revive that selfless kindness and find ways to marry it to the powerful grace of God. It will always shine brighter and overcome our darkest moments.

——

Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week’s column comes from Rev. Steve Salmon, pastor of First Church of Christ, Lock Haven.

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