On this ten
year anniversary of 9/11, emotions still run very high. It’s would be very simple to think that lots
of things started and lots of things changed on that horrible, life-changing, world-changing day.
It certainly was both of those things to
the families of those left behind by those over 3,000 souls that were lost on that day. I can only imagine
the pain felt by the hole that was left in their world. My thoughts and prayers are still going out to
them after all these years.
The world also changed for the soldiers and their families who have taken the war to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Regardless of one’s opinion about “the war on terror”, one would have to be a cold-hearted fool to not feel
compassion on those brave women and men (and their families) who serve, or have served, our country – often at the expense
of life, limb or, in some isolated cases, sanity. As is with the case of the surviving families of those
killed on 9/11, my thoughts and prayers are still directed to our warriors and their families who have sacrificed in so many
areas so that our country can remain safe and free.
Certainly, our country has been forever marked, changed and, in some ways, divided since
September 11, 2001. Tremendous costs extracted from our nation’s economy certainly had an immediate
impact that, in some ways is still being felt today. Obviously, the derivative costs of war abroad and
security costs at home are impacting American’s wallets directly and indirectly and likely will for the rest of this
generation’s days.
There are lots of debates as to why 9/11 happened; who is to blame and how we should go about preventing a
recurrence as well as how we can create a safe, peaceful world. Many of the voices heard in these debates
are from brilliant, highly intelligent people with tremendous insight. While I do have thoughts and opinions,
I certainly would not place myself into the category of those people.
That said, I do feel that, at the risk of
sounding ridiculously Pollyannaish, I do think that we are a world of hopelessly flawed people in an imperfect world and both
will remain so. The only way that this world would be safe and in harmony is if there was a global change
of heart - a world full of God’s love for one another and, in healthy, humble way, for our own selves.
Do I think this will happen?
No, I’m afraid not. That doesn’t mean, though, that I – we – can’t strive
for that goal in our own hearts and positively affecting the lives of others as a result. By doing so,
there will be one less hole in this world.
