Quiet Remembrance

If you read this when it is published a little after nine AM, you might recall that eleven years ago at this very moment, we were glued to our TV screens in total disbelief of what was appearing on them:  One of the Twin Towers had been hit about 15 minutes earlier, and soon the second, right before our eyes would suffer the same fate.  Then came the news of the Pentagon strike, followed by Shanksville, PA, close enough to McMechen, WV where I was principal, to have panicking parents taking their children out of the school. Horror, fear, multiple unanswered questions, grief, tears and prayer gripped us, followed by a surge of patriotic fervor and determination to give retribution to those responsible for the attacks.  Life as we knew it came to an end on that day, as rampant distrust and fear, justified by later information and experience, caused increased security in all sectors of our lives. 
Today, the scaled down remembrances and memorial services will allow the families of the victims and all of us to take some needed quiet, more than just a "moment of silence", to pray for the victims, their families, the perpetrators and our country, under seige by all kinds of demons and unsavory attitudes, behaviors and ideologies.  It is a time to grieve, lament, and pray for deliverance from the terrorism that increasingly is crippling and undermining our country.  Yes, there is always hope, for the Resurrection of Jesus conquered sin and death once and for all, but often we forget it, or don't see it because of the dust clouds that like those in lower Manhattan eleven years ago, tighten their grip us.  That's why a good chunk of solitude, silence and quiet reflection are the order of the day.
Bro. Rene