c. 2006 Religion News Service
(UNDATED) As Americans marked the five-year anniversary of 9/11, they did so with varied and complex emotions _ anger paired with determination, pain of loss countered with joy in loved ones’ memories and even fear or hatred for those who attacked us.
But as we look back on that dark day, I hope we’ll also remember that we rose to face the battle _ reaching across racial, religious, socio-economic, gender and age barriers _ as one nation undivided _ shining even brighter against the backdrop of such evil.
As a New York police chaplain during the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, I look back with vivid and horrific memories of my own. I still recall the heart-wrenching pain and suffering I saw in friends and strangers who lost loved ones that day.
Upon arriving at Ground Zero, I felt as though I was entering a war zone, with machinery digging and fires still burning. One could see the desperation in the eyes of the firefighters as they frantically searched for colleagues and survivors. That evening, I stood tearfully with 26 families of police officers who were missing in the rubble. After many long hours of waiting, only one officer was found alive.
The next 60 days seemed like one long funeral. I counseled the hurting, participated in funerals for those we lost and became a shoulder to cry on for those who grieved. I held services every two to three days over those two months, and every day since then, I’ve joined the chorus of those who sing “We’ll never forget.”
We’ll never forget the 2,976 civilians and more than 400 rescue workers killed in the attacks. We won’t forget the heroes on United Flight 93, the firemen and police officers who risked their lives to save others and the thousands of volunteers who gave countless hours to help. And we’ll never forget that an evil enemy attacked innocent civilians in our homeland.
But as a woman of deep and abiding faith, I also know that it is important to remember the lessons 9/11 brings _ that while we live in an age punctuated by terror, we’re greatest when we’re loving our neighbor as ourselves, when we’re acutely aware of the brevity of life so that we are free to focus on what matters most, and when we’re trusting God to bring blessings from terrible circumstances.
It is vital for us to develop what I call a “new normalcy” to help bring about healing as we move forward individually and together as a nation. We should be aware that our world has changed _ it is perhaps a more dangerous place _ but, we can’t retreat from it and we can’t live in fear of the future.
To live victoriously in a post-9/11 world, we’re going to have to rely on each other and recognize that we’re strongest when we’re one nation under God, indivisible.
We must keep in mind that the terrorists rejoice when we’re divided, yet they recoil when we show a united front.
As we remember that tragic day that forever changed our lives, I hope we also remember that we are great when we are one; we are powerful when we are united; we are victorious when we work together; and that God’s hand continues to lead and bless this nation.
While we never want to re-live another 9/11, we do need to return to that powerful spirit of “unity” which was alive and well in communities across the country following the attacks. It’s this spirit that makes us great _ a city shining on a hill.
Do you remember? I pray we’ll never forget.
CM END COOK
(Suzan Johnson Cook is the first and only female chaplain for the New York City Police Department and the senior pastor at the Believers Christian Fellowship in New York City. She’s the author of six books, including the recently released “Live Like You’re Blessed.”)
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