We will never forget the moment we learned of the 9/11 terrorist attacks ten years ago. The destruction of the four hijacked US airliners carved out an indelibly memory in our minds – the two burning infernos prior to the collapse of the Twin Towers in NYC, the section of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. ablaze, and the mammoth hole left by the fractured airplane of United Flight #93, after it dove into the ground near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at over 500 m.p.h.. Unadulterated evil crashed into our doorstep.
During the time of the attack, I was driving to a meeting to discuss my upcoming publication related to strengthening Christian leaders in their mission to share the love of Jesus around the world. What complete irony, considering that destructive leadership had invaded my homeland.
As I was stopped at a traffic light, news on my car radio announced the collapse of the South Tower (2). After arriving at my destination, I learned that the attacks were likely attributed to terrorists. My host and I questioned if we should postpone our meeting. Considering the nature of our discussion, we decided to shorten the meeting in our feeble attempt to fight evil with good, and then spent considerable time in prayer.
Within 72 hours, all of the 19 hijackers had been identified as being associated with Al-Qaeda, the militant group founded by Osama bin-Laden; and since that time we have learned their stories. Their worldview, contorted into religious knots of extremist Muslim ideology, deception, and hatred, so contrasted with the scores of people who sacrificed their lives for others on that 9/11 morning. The psyche of the American spirit, as well as the conscious of the world, was forever shaped by their terror. But it has not been overcome by it.
The true heroes who risked and sacrificed their lives include the valiant flight attendants and passengers of United Flight 93, who knew that this fourth plane was headed for the Capital or the White House. Also included were the hundreds of fire fighters, police personnel, and everyday people who ran into harm’s way to save others, not destroy them. Notable among them, were the brave firefighters from NYC’s Ladder 6 who risked their lives to save 60-year old Josephine Harris. Their story is told on this week’s Dateline NBC special, America Remembers.
A few days ago, the Washington Post featured the untold story of Maj. Heather “Lucky” Penney, one of two pilots flying unarmed F-16 fighter jets dispatched to down United Flight 93. Given the 60-minutes needed to equip the jets with weapons, both she and her colleague, Col. Marc Sasseville, made the snap decision to enter a suicide mission of a different nature – to ultimately save lives. They never had to complete that mission.
With September 11, 2011 being tomorrow, I am reminded of Jesus’ words: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) and prayer after being crucified on the cross for the sins of the world, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:20).
The heart of being followers of Jesus Christ is infused in these verses. Last evening, for the first time in 10 years, I forgave those 19 terrorists. Have you?
As you probably know, President Obama has found himself dealing with a volatile issue lately—and I’m not talking about the economy. I’m referring to his proposal to re-imagine and re-draw the Israeli-Palestinian border along the 1967 armistice lines with mutually agreed upon land swaps. Given the loaded and tenuous history of these “peace and land talks” in the Middle East, I don’t envy the president for one second—especially after seeing how House Democrats and Republicans applauded Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress which unabashedly spurned the president’s plan. 
A Chinese proverb says, “To be uncertain is to be uncomfortable, but to be certain is to be ridiculous.” Life’s challenges often create uncertainties despite our desire to overcome them. However, there is an inner spiritual impetus for us to triumph “certainty” even though the Chinese proverb calls this approach to life “ridiculous.” I call this a divine inspiration to “walk in the ridiculous.”
