I remember the day it happened, wondering if the world would ever be the same again.  Ten years later we know that no, it won’t be.  We all remember where we were that morning.  Sujo John was in the north tower, his wife was due at work in the south tower.  Ten years later the memories of that day are still just as clear.  This is his story.

Take the next step:

10 Years later, I’m still waiting for “normal”
Life lessons from 9/11
I lived, now what? Lorraine learns to live with her miracle
Where is God when the world falls apart? Take a lesson.
Are you struggling with loss? We are here to talk to you today.

When both US president Barack Obama and Catholic Pope Benedict XVI advise you that your plans are a bad idea

Terry Jones would be well advised to listen to their advice. His tiny 30 member group, ironically named the “Dove World Outreach Church” in Gainesville, Florida, plans to burn copies of the Qur’an on the anniversary of September 11:

Jones has said he sees Koran-burning as a way of confronting Islamist terrorism. But his plans have been widely condemned by U.S. religious, political and military leaders, who say it is jeopardizing the security of U.S. military personnel abroad.

“I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan,” Obama said on “Good Morning America.” (Reuters Canada)

In addition to president Obama and the Pope, condemnations of the actions have rained down worldwide. Interpol warned of “tragic consequences” that “may well claim the lives of many innocent people.” The World Council of Churches, which represents 349 Christian denominations, stated that the call to burn Qur’ans “has been firmly rejected and condemned by the WCC and its member churches.” France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that France condemns “in the strongest terms the vicious and irresponsible statements of Pastor Terry Jones.” Former presidential and vice-presidential candidates John McCain and Sarah Palin also condemned the planned action.

His actions, if they do decide to carry through as planned, will endanger American troops abroad as well as Christians living in predominantly Muslim countries. It’s sad that this pastor cannot see the pervasive negative impact of his actions. On the eve of the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the last thing the world needs is more insensitivity … and literally fanning the flames of hatred.

As we remember the events of that infamous day, nine years ago, we would do well to reflect on our own reactions to it. The article “9/11 and You” was written by a man whose sister had a 9:00am appointment at the World Trade Center … on September 12. He struggled with anger regarding the attacks and how his sister would likely have been killed if her appointment was one day earlier, and explains what he learned from his meditations. It’s worthwhile reading for us all.

Other stories for reflection stemming from 9/11:
Remembering September 11th – On September 11, 2001 I said my first prayer. My son was a police officer with the New York Police Department.
The Call That Shook My World – The sense of loss that morning was overwhelming, both the shared loss and my personal loss.

Upcoming online chats: Join us for daily online chats! One of our features will be “Pattern for Restoration” on September 12 at 9:00 pm EDT Please join us to discuss how you can change patterns in your life from destructive to restortive.

What does your church’s response to its Muslim neighbors say to your community?

Regardless of what your opinion is about the construction of this building in NYC (which, honestly, will have very little direct impact on you unless you live nearby) the question remains: How does your church reachout in love to your community?

An post titled “Opposing or Embracing Muslims: What’s Your Story?” on the popular Christian culture blog Church Marketing Sucks explores this issue by presenting the stories of two contrasting churches:

The opposition for the Muslim community in Southern California includes Bill Rench, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, which is located near the site of the potential mosque. Says Rench, “The Islamic foothold is not strong here, and we really don’t want to see their influence spread.” Not only that, but Christianity and Islam “mix like oil and water” he said. According to the Times, Rench predicted a “confrontational atmosphere” if plans for the new mosque move forward.

On the other end of the spectrum is Reverend Williamson, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Columbia, Tennessee. Williamson’s story is revered by professor Akbar Ahmed in the NPR story. A local mosque had been burnt down and some had vandalized the remaining property with graffiti and swastikas. Instead of condoning the opposition and wishing Muslims to get out of town, Pastor Williamson gave the Muslim community the keys to the Presbyterian church. “This from now on can be used as your house of worship.”

I tend to agree with some of the commenters on the post that the most appropriate response is somewhere inbetween these two extremes: Reaching out to others in love, but not quite going as far as to hand over the keys to the church.

What is your approach? What about your church’s approach? Can you see your church or others in your area taking the “billboard” approach, and is that the most appropriate way to witness to our neighbors? On the other hand, does handing over the church keys and welcoming people to worship there also miss the point?

Related reading:
Religious pluralism – Briefly considering the idea that “all paths lead to God”
Seeing God Face to Face – The story of a Muslim man whose life was changed through his encounter with Jesus

TheLife.com is now PowerToChange.com!

This site is maintained by TruthMedia, a division on Power to Change. Over the next days and weeks this site, along with several others will be moving into a new format branded as Power to Change.

All of your favorites will still be here along with a bunch of new features we’re excited to share with you. Now all of our audiences will have access to blogs, comments and videos along with more frequent updates, bigger images and a wider range of content.

9/11 and You
My sister had a 9:00 a.m. appointment at the World Trade Center … on September 12, 2001. I’ve often wondered what might have happened had her appointment been a day earlier or the terrorist attacks a day later. What were your feelings that tragic day? How do you process those feelings now, as reminders of the attacks come in anniversary media coverage? Nearly two thirds of 9/11 adult counselees still grieve, according to a recent study. Read more

Take action: Do you struggle with forgiving people? Or one person in particular? Why not try our Finding Freedom in Forgiveness online interactive life lesson?

You said it: This week, Kara commented on Four Slippery Steps to Adultery, saying “What a difficult time you must be going through. Is there a way that you could talk with your husband or even get some help to walk through this? This site has mentors who are willing to come alongside you in a time like this.” Read the article and add your own thoughts: Read more

Feature: Back to School Survival Guide
The campus is a new world, and here, it is not the strong but the teachable who survive. Here are some tips for student survival based on the experiences of those who have already survived. Read more

Blog: Identity & Identity Theft
Every year, millions of people around the world, are victims of “identity theft”. Some helpful steps to reduce your chances of being an identity theft victim include things like protecting your credit card numbers and never replying to emails requesting financial information. Read more

Coming up next week: One of the topics of our upcoming online chats is “Why Does God Allow Disaster?” Join us in the chat room September 15th 2009 @ 4:00pm EST for this chat or see also our full chat calendar for other upcoming topics.

On September 12.

Since September 11, 2001, I’ve often wondered what might have happened had her appointment been a day earlier or the terrorist attacks a day later. I could have been walking the streets of New York City with her picture.

What were your feelings that tragic day? Shock? Fear? Anger? Confusion? Sadness? How do you process those feelings now, as reminders of the attacks come in anniversary commemorations and media coverage? Nearly two-thirds of American Red Cross 9/11 adult counselees still grieve, according to a study of those directly affected by the attacks{1}.

“I Hate You!”

In the immediate aftermath, my feelings of sadness blended with intense hostility. Once when Osama Bin Laden’s face appeared on television, I spontaneously shouted, “I hate you!”

I was and am a follower of Jesus. He taught his followers to “love your enemies.”{2} Why was I yelling “I hate you!” to a picture on a TV screen?

I wondered why this guy hated my sister. If Deborah Wright had been among the victims, her death would have been included among those he applauded. If I had been a victim, he would have applauded mine. I wrote a radio series on “Why Radical Muslims Hate You” to discover historical, socio-cultural, political, religious, and psychological roots of such anger. It helped me to connect with Muslims who shared similar concerns but disavowed the radical methods.

Dust of Death

Deborah’s experience as a corporate chaplain took her back to New York to help WTC-based companies and their employees who suffered loss on 9/11 cope with the emotional and spiritual whirlwinds their worlds had become. Many suffered from survivor guilt. Failure to process grief could lead to serious consequences. Some firemen, for instance, were assigned to look after widows of fallen comrades. “There can be enormous intimacy and bonding in shared grief,” Deborah notes. “Some of the firemen and widows ended up in bed together.”

Some competitive, driven businesspersons re-examined their rat race—making big bucks and accumulating the most toys—and asked, “Is that all there is?”. Long looks at corporate culture prompted many to consider spiritual realities.

Part of helping survivors process their experiences involved taking them to Ground Zero. Deborah comments, “As I stood at Ground Zero and picked up the dust, I could not help but think that we were standing in a giant crematorium. The ground seemed hallowed to me.”

Personal Lessons from 9/11

What personal 9/11 lessons persist? Perhaps you can relate to these that seem poignant to me:

We live in a contingent universe. Human decisions and actions have consequences, often for good or evil.

Life is temporary. One early spiritual leader wrote of our lives’ fleeting nature, “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”{3}

Link with the eternal. Jesus of Nazareth, whom people of diverse spiritual persuasions respect as a great teacher, told a friend grieving her brother’s death, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish.”{4}

Cherish your friends. In the aftermath of 9/11, many friendships were deepened as people linked with each other for encouragement, solace and support.

Understand and love your enemies and intellectual adversaries. Support national defense, but learning about state enemies can help communication with moderates who share some of their convictions. Getting to know neighbors or associates with whom you differ politically, philosophically or spiritually can help build bridges that foster civility in public discourse.

Related reading: Lorraine tells the story of her son, a NYPD officer at Ground Zero on 9/11, and how she began her own search for meaning. Hear Lorraine ‘s story.

Notes
1. Amy Westfeldt, “Study: Sept. 11 Survivors Still Grieving,” Associated Press, May 26, 2006, on AOL News. Also see full Red Cross report, http://www.redcross.org/images/pdfs/SRPClientSurvey.pdf, p. v.
2. Matthew 5:44 NASB.
3. James 4:14 NASB.
4. John 11:25 NLT.

© 2006 Rusty Wright, used by permission.

Image credit: Joseph Hoetzl, used with permission, Creative Commons 2.0 License.

While the words Iraq, economy, 9/11, war, bankruptcy and terrorism will make up the large part of the vocabulary defining his legacy, one word will most likely be missing: PEPFAR.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is a historic initiative that Bush began in 2003 to fund the prevention, treatment and care of AIDS around the world. Active in 114 countries, with 15 focus countries like Ethiopia, Vietnam and Rwanda, PEPFAR has given care to almost 10 million, prevented around 240,000 infant infections and distributed ARVs to more than 2 million.

By working with thousands of local organizations, Bush’s initiative has directly touched countless individuals. Individuals like Edward Mupunga, an HIV-positive counselor in Zimbabwe. With support from PEPFAR, the Zimbabwe Association of Church Hospitals is training Primary Care Counselor’s like Mupunga to give crucial HIV counseling in their communities.

“Helping others keeps me going,” Edward said. “Every time I counsel someone, I grow from the experience because I know that I’m helping that person face his fears and live more positively.”

With his presidency, Bush did do some good. So while we see one president go and another take his seat it seems only right to acknowledge the positive as we paint the last portrait of a president.

Are we too hard on our leaders when we judge them? How much of what happens in government do you think the President controls?

image credit: MastaBaba

Where were you when Obama won the election? When he proclaimed that “change has come to America”? Because now the day has come for the Illinois Senator to be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States and become the first African-American to carry the title.

The long road to the White House will finally come to an end in a ceremony to be held at noon on the steps of the United States Capitol on January 20. But Obama is the first to acknowledge the road ahead is even longer.

“It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.”

Where will you be on Inauguration Day? What hopes come along with the Obama presidency for you?

image credit: mike_1630

Who can forget the morning of September 11^th? It was a day that shattered a façade of predictability and security, and altered the way many thought. It was a day of profound loss for individuals, a nation and the world.

My personal 9/11

After the first reports of planes hitting the Twin Towers, I received a personal phone call. While not as unexpected, it too shook my inner world in ways I’d never dreamed a few years before. I heard, “Your divorce is final. We received the final paperwork this morning. You‘ll be receiving it soon.”

Stepping out of the office to deal with the flood of my emotions, I entered a break room where a group of employees was gathering, riveted to the corner TV. Suddenly, I heard gasps. As I turned, we saw live footage of the second tower collapsing.

The sense of loss that morning was overwhelming, both the shared loss and my personal loss.

When towers crumble and dreams give way, where can we turn? Our plans and sense of stability are shattered. The landmarks of our lives are in upheaval, and only what is eternal can help to anchor our souls.

A secure place to rest

As I began to process my own September 11^th, I was drawn back once again to my unchanging God, the One who loves me as no other, who counts each hair on my head. It is only in Him that I could find lasting security, for any other foundation was subject to change.

I’d often defined myself largely by the marriage relationship. I’m learning that even more importantly, I am a precious and loved child of the Almighty God. The identity we find in the labels of wife, mother, teacher, nurse, or friend may be altered by circumstance or choice. It is only as my heart finds its identity in relationship with my loving God that it finds a secure place to rest. Nothing, He says, can separate me from His love! Nothing can change His heart towards me. He calls me His own. He has promised to never leave me or forsake me.

Clearing the rubble and rebuilding

The losses of September 11th are real, and life will never return to “what was.” For me, though memories linger, my marriage is gone. God was not surprised by the death of my marriage. He understands the pain of rejection and betrayal, for He too has experienced rejection. He is no stranger to grief, and will not run away from my tears or my fears.

God is clearing away the destruction and beginning to fashion something new, something different, out of my life. The loneliness is giving way to a number of rich friendships. I’m grateful for the people God’s placed around me to remind me of His love and grace.

I don’t know what my future holds, but I know God’s not given up on me. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

My heavenly Father’s faithfulness in the past, in my own life and the lives of others, encourages me to trust Him for that future.

He is my strong tower.

What about you?

If you’re struggling to find your way through a painful time in your life, let me encourage you to turn your heart toward the Comforter whom Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit. The minute you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit took up residence in your life. He longs to fill you and to empower you. He can give you the hope and strength you need, minute by minute. I encourage you to trust Him with whatever difficulty you face, for He is faithful. He will walk with you through the darkest valley.

Below is a suggested prayer. As you pray, remember that God cares not so much about your words as the intent of your heart.

Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, we would love to hear about it!

On September 11, 2001 I said my first prayer. My son was a police officer with the New York Police Department. As I sat watching the Twin Towers burn, at first I thought that he was fine since he worked a desk job at One Police Plaza. But what if he went over to help?

“Please God,” I said, “if you’re listening… don’t let them go in there. You can take my car, my house, take anything you want, but don’t let them go in that building. He doesn’t even have a baby yet, God!”

Finally, I was able to reach his wife, Geraldine, who told me that a bunch of people from One Police Plaza went over to help. I hung up and turned back to the TV just in time to see the first tower fall. I thought the worst, of course.

It wasn’t until about 8:30 that evening that I heard from the police department that he was on his way home.

But that almost wasn’t the case.

My son was heading into the World Trade Center when his lieutenant said, “We need more equipment before we go in there.” They turned away from the others and went back to their van. They were spared! And nine months later he and his wife had a beautiful baby girl. Our miracle child!

I got my miracle, now what?

I believed there was a God and he answered my prayer on September 11, but what to do? The most logical thing was to go to church, so off I went. But people there seemed to be just going through the motions, like they felt they had to be there. I went less and less.

One day, I received the news that my estranged husband had died. He had written me once in a while from Arizona and let me know that he was “saved” (whatever that meant) and that he was praying for me and the kids. My inheritance was a Bible full of Arizona sand. I thought I may as well read it and give church another try. Still, not much changed. Something was missing and I couldn’t figure out what it was.

Channel surfing

Then one day I was watching a history show on TV. It was about the history of execution and towards the end, the narrator said, “Now for the most famous execution of all…” I had no idea what that could be. Well, I found out it was Jesus of Nazareth. Watching this segment, I was overcome by an awful feeling of guilt. The other stories didn’t bother me, why his? Listening to the account of Jesus’ death, I found myself asking, Why did he have to do that?”

Suddenly, I realized for the first time that Jesus was God! No wonder people talked about him. I knew from that day on things were going to be different.. I owed him big time. But what now…? Where do I go?

Watching the Passion

A few weeks later the Passion of the Christ movie came out and I went five times! I was fascinated by it and what Jesus had done. I needed some more info, so I hit the internet and just happened to come across this wonderful web site, Thelife.com. I checked out different articles and finally saw a button that said, “Discuss Jesus” That was my first introduction to a chat room.

Here were the people that I had been looking for, people excited about their relationship with God and not afraid to answer my questions. After about four months they were talking about how we could know for sure that we were going to go to heaven when we died. I asked, “How?” Right there in chat they explained that it was simply by inviting Jesus into my life… so I did it right there and then.

Rosie, one of the people in the chat room who was like a mentor to me, just happened to have a friend that was the pastor of a church that she thought, would have just what I needed. And it was.

I’m learning to forgive others and myself. I’m learning to be thankful and I’m learning what true happiness is. Best of all, I’m getting to know and love the Person who heard and answered my first prayer on that fiery September 11 five years ago.

A lot has changed since 9/11. Not the least of all me.

Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?

Living with hope

If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

Is this the life for you?
If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.

Who can forget the morning of September 11^th? It was a day that shattered a façade of predictability and security, and altered the way many thought. It was a day of profound loss for individuals, a nation and the world.

My personal 9/11

After the first reports of planes hitting the Twin Towers, I received a personal phone call. While not as unexpected, it too shook my inner world in ways I’d never dreamed a few years before. I heard, “Your divorce is final. We received the final paperwork this morning. You‘ll be receiving it soon.”

Stepping out of the office to deal with the flood of my emotions, I entered a break room where a group of employees was gathering, riveted to the corner TV. Suddenly, I heard gasps. As I turned, we saw live footage of the second tower collapsing.

The sense of loss that morning was overwhelming, both the shared loss and my personal loss.

When towers crumble and dreams give way, where can we turn? Our plans and sense of stability are shattered. The landmarks of our lives are in upheaval, and only what is eternal can help to anchor our souls.

A secure place to rest

As I began to process my own September 11^th, I was drawn back once again to my unchanging God, the One who loves me as no other, who counts each hair on my head. It is only in Him that I could find lasting security, for any other foundation was subject to change.

I’d often defined myself largely by the marriage relationship. I’m learning that even more importantly, I am a precious and loved child of the Almighty God. The identity we find in the labels of wife, mother, teacher, nurse, or friend may be altered by circumstance or choice. It is only as my heart finds its identity in relationship with my loving God that it finds a secure place to rest. Nothing, He says, can separate me from His love! Nothing can change His heart towards me. He calls me His own. He has promised to never leave me or forsake me.

Clearing the rubble and rebuilding

The losses of September 11th are real, and life will never return to “what was.” For me, though memories linger, my marriage is gone. God was not surprised by the death of my marriage. He understands the pain of rejection and betrayal, for He too has experienced rejection. He is no stranger to grief, and will not run away from my tears or my fears.

God is clearing away the destruction and beginning to fashion something new, something different, out of my life. The loneliness is giving way to a number of rich friendships. I’m grateful for the people God’s placed around me to remind me of His love and grace.

I don’t know what my future holds, but I know God’s not given up on me. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

My heavenly Father’s faithfulness in the past, in my own life and the lives of others, encourages me to trust Him for that future.

He is my strong tower.

Is this the life for me?

Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?

Living with hope

If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised. Is this the life for you?

If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.