Where Were You?

I went to church this morning hoping that service wouldn't be political just because today is September 11th. I was thinking: "I can watch memorials and tributes on TV. I've come to church to hear about God."

I think my attitude was wrong. The church speaks biblical truth into our lives, and 9/11 is a part of our lives. Forever. The service was about remembering. And it was about the Christian reaction to tragedy, and it was about justice, love, and humbly walking with the Lord. And it was very political in the process. That's almost inescapable. Sitting in the service, I listened, and allowed the preacher to speak the horror of ten years ago back into the hearing of my today. And...it was loud. Just last week I was talking about the impact of September 11th. About how I can barely remember things from last week, but I know EVERYTHING about that particular day. I know nearly every detail of where I was, who I was with, jokes we were making in the car prior to the realization that the radio personalities were no longer playing music or telling corny morning commute jokes. It's crystal clear. But do you know what I can't remember at all? September 10th. What happened on September 10th doesn't matter, b/c on September 11th we were at "ground zero." And going forward, everything was changed.

Ground Zero:

1. The point on the earth's surface directly above or below an exploding nuclear bomb.

2. A starting point or base for some activity.


And, it is Sunday, which means if there is a post...it's about Jesus. And so I was thinking about the spiritual "ground zero." Jesus dropped a bomb on religion. And his death became the starting point for new life, and new access to God (in a way that was previously unknown).

I imagine that for the followers of Jesus, and for the people of Israel there was another really memorable day:

"Where were you when the veil of the temple was rent in two?"
"Where were you when the sky was darkened?"
"Where were you when the earth shook?"
"Where were you when Jesus was crucified?"


We talk a lot about 8:46 a.m., 9:03 a.m., 9:37 a.m., and 10:03 a.m. But today I was thinking about 3 o'clock ("and at the 9th hour"...Mark 15:34). How, everything prior to that moment is subordinate to what happened in that moment. Because once Jesus died, spiritually the world was at "ground zero." I say the world, because that's who Christ died for (John 3:16). Going forward, everything was changed...everything.

Just food for thought from a Christian American.

Go Jesus!

Go USA!

P.S. By the way, I was on my way to Multi-cultural Literature at the University of Toledo, riding in the car with Valerie Thompson, when we heard a little something on the radio, about the first plane hitting. We didn't get it. We got to class, in the Honors Center, and the place was in turmoil. Our professor, Dr. Denk, herded our entire class into a large room, where other students/teachers had congregated. In that room, we watched live coverage on a big screen TV.  And in that room, with crying teachers and students, Val and I watched the first tower fall.