I was in fifth grade when the Towers fell.  

I remember our teacher being asked to come out to the hall and she returned to ask the class if anyone had parents who worked in New York City. (I was raised on Long Island about 40 minutes from the city.) A few classmates raised their hands. We later found out that we would have a half-day and would be picked up by our parents even though we normally took the bus.  

On the way home my dad told my brothers and me what had happened. The video loop on the news channel depicting the crumbling of the Twin Towers will be ironed into my mind forever. I remember seeing my dad sit in a chair outside staring into the sky, just thinking to himself. I went over to see him and all he said was, “Tom, you will remember this day for the rest of your life.” 

He was right. 

A few students at my school lost their parents that day. I remember growing up thinking about how difficult it must have been to have lost your mom or dad at my age. So, I began to remember those families by name and pray for those who had lost a parent or a spouse. Whenever I thought about 9/11, I would say a prayer remembering all those who had died.  

Both remembering those who lost someone they loved and saying a quick prayer to myself for everyone affected by 9/11 has brought a deeper awareness to my heart regarding the tragedy of the day and the heart of God. Many young people today are so far removed from 2001 that they see this moment in time as simply another moment in history. 

But it’s more than just another moment in history. It’s a call to prayer. 

Praying, despite the tragic circumstances that enveloped this day, has enabled me to see that God desires to be with us in our brokenness and pain. When evil strikes, it is natural to contemplate the reasons why and ask how it could have happened. Many turn to God in anger and use tragedy as an argument against him. However, praying for those who lost someone they loved that day reveals something forever true about our God: our pain means the world to him and he sits with us in our sorrow.  

The emblem of the Christian faith is the cross. That cross was the most sorrowful moment in world history and so many overlook it, like young people who are insensitive to 9/11. The pain that Jesus endured opened up an avenue into the heart of God because Christ desired for us to be saved and know that he knows our pain. Like 9/11, Jesus wants us never to forget the details of that first Good Friday because it allows us access to a love that can’t be defeated.  

So, if this day is a difficult one for you, attach your pain to the cross. And no matter who you are, pray for those most affected, and never become insensitive to the loss of any life. Honor those who died on 9/11 by lifting your heart to the One who experienced the depths of pain in order to raise us (and all those who have died) to new life again.  

This 9/11, let faith reign triumphant.