Monday, September 10, 2012

9-11-01 Turning Point in American History


We must take time on this anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, to remember the victims and the family and friends of the victims of those attack and to contemplate how it changed our lives forever here in the world.

There are turning points in history that make dramatic changes in the way the lives of people and countries function thereafter.  I will not needlessly enumerate them.  9-11 is, obviously, one of those times.  Many of us remember growing up under the constant, immediate threat of nuclear war and annihilation as the West and the Soviet Union engaged in the “peace” policies called mutual nuclear annihilation!  Looking back, that really appears insane, doesn’t it?  Yet, those were the governing policies of the time of thousands of nuclear weapons.  Amazingly, in the late 1980's early 1990's,  the Soviet Union collapsed of its own weight and discredited godless communism called Leninism and Stalism.  For the first time in several generations, those of us who lived then could breathe a sigh of relief and sleep without that subconscious fear.  We were able to live that way and deal with the post-Cold War period and the so-called peace dividend very happily.

Then, the surprising and shocking attacks of 9-11.  We all remember where we were and what we were doing when we found out.  Who would do such a thing, we asked ourselves, and why would they do it?   For days, we sat before our television sets in shock and wonder about all this. Even all air travel was grounded.  What was going on? Our whole country seemed to come to a halt. 

As we slowly recovered from the shock, we became aware that we now lived in a world where two oceans could not protect us, where the rules of traditional wars between countries no longer applied to massive paramilitary attacks, where airline travel was dramatically changed, where enemies who hated the Western World and the United States, in particular, where these enemies tried to live highly secret lives, where the names Osama and al Qaeda were new and foreign to us, and where our confidence and security was seemingly shattered beyond recovery.

These were, indeed, times that “tried men’s souls.”  Did we have the spiritual faith to help us cope and to deal with this new world?  We thought we did, but it seems, we have slipped back into old habits as time has gone by.

Remember, pray for those who suffered and died and for their families and friends, and assess your own reaction and your own faith.

Let me know what you think.

Let the light of our Lord shine upon you!

REM (Ray Makowski) Co-Founder, Director and Secretary-Treasurer

18 comments:

  1. The ten years or so between the end of the Cold War and 9/11 allowed us a brief respite from the fear of outsiders. It also made us careless and complacent.

    The events of that September day jarred us back to viewing the world as a place where threats and horrors are only moments away.

    Let us all remember the victims of the 9/11 attacks and in their honor let us remain vigilant in the defense of our freedoms and our rights.

    Let us all pray for those who defend us on a daily basis from the threats that we never even hear about.

    HMB

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bishop Felipe Estevez has delivered a 3:45min reflection on the anniversary of 9-11, for remembrance and prayer,
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA3fSQGi0AQ&feature=youtu.be

    ReplyDelete
  3. I read your 9/11 blog and was reminded about how this national catastrophe has changed so much about us and our country. I, too,grew up under the threat of nuclear war and the post Cold War period. We got through it and were thankful.

    Truly, you are correct, the rules have changed. As a country (and the world) we no longer feel safe. Those of us who lived through 9/11 wait for the inevitable second (next) shoe to drop, knowing that somewhere, sometime it surely will. However, we do have choices. We can cower in fear or we can choose to live seeking spiritual growth and clarity, trusting in God. As we remember those who lost their lives and those who helped and tried to help them, it is appropriate today to pray for them and their families. I submit that it is also appropriate for us to pray for ourselves, that we may choose to grow in faith and not become fearful, cynical, or forgetful of the tragedy of 11 years ago.

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