“Yesterday was a dark day in the history of humanity, a terrible affront to human dignity. After receiving the news, I followed with intense concern the developing situation, with heartfelt prayers to the Lord. How is it possible to commit acts of such savage cruelty?

“The human heart has depths from which schemes of unheard-of ferocity sometimes emerge, capable of destroying in a moment the normal daily life of a people. But faith comes to our aid at these times when words seem to fail.

“Christ’s word is the only one that can give a response to the questions which trouble our spirit. Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say. Christian hope is based on this truth; at this time our prayerful trust draws strength from it.” John Paul II, General Audience, Sept.12, 2001

Twenty-five years ago today these words were spoken, reflecting the feeling of the world in the face of the tragedy of the terrorist strikes on New York City, the Pentagon, and the field in Shanksville, Pa. As those of us who lived through this event 25 years ago reflect on what impact this has had on our city, state, nation and world, we also realize that there is now an entire generation that has no first-hand memory of this tragedy. At the time, we pledged to “never forget.”

Indeed, those who lost family members, friends and acquaintances will indeed be forever reminded of this. However, what of the generation post- 9/11? How do we help them to see the impact of the first mainland attack on the United States of America since the War of 1812? How do we share with them the singular experience that those of us who lived through it had that changed us in the core of our being forever?

The short answer is, we can’t. Just as those who lived through the attack on Pearl Harbor cannot share its impact with those who came after. Just as those who lived through the American Civil War cannot share its impact with those who came after. There are certain shared experiences that those alive at a certain time and place experience that cannot be accurately shared in the future, no matter how hard we try.

Perhaps that is the entire point of living in a time-bound existence. No matter how bad an event may be… no matter how life-changing and experience may be to those who lived through it, later on a fresh, new perspective arises from those who learn about it from their elders.

If we go back to the Last Supper, Jesus’ arrest and trial, Jesus’ whipping, Jesus’ final journey to Golgotha, His crucifixion and death, and most importantly His resurrection, we can see how life-changing experiencing this first-hand could be. We can also see how inadequate any words trying to convey the experience to future generations are.

However, if we superimpose our experience of shared tragedy and the inadequateness of trying to explain it, then we CAN proximate how profound this experience was. Coupled with the fact that the Son of God still maintains His presence in the world with the Holy Spirit and through His sacraments, how much more profound is this?

As John Paul II stated, “those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say.” On Sept.12, 2001 many people went to churches throughout the country to pray, some of whom hadn’t been in for many years. On Sept.14, 2001, two Bishops were consecrated in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, Mass., a mere 5.8 miles from where two of the planes took of the prior Tuesday. On Sept.15, 2001, church attendance swelled throughout the nation as people took solace both in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and in each other in His presence.

Today… this weekend… let us not forget those subsequent days after the 9/11 attacks by going to our places of worship. Let us remember, together, what we went through that day. And, most importantly, let us impart to those who came after not the fear, sadness, shock and confusion of 9/11, but the full reliance on God and each other that came in the days that followed.

In this way, we can both remember those we lost, as well as who we were in the days that followed, and America at her best, united, of one mind, to defeat evil that came to our shores at the hands of foreign invaders. It seems that we need a little bit more of that memory now, a quarter-century on, as we struggle to find our unity as a country once again.

Rev. John A. Cramer
Pastor of Holy Trinity NCC

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Kewanee Voice.

***This column is sponsored by the Kewanee Ministerial Association