Today is 9/11.

Read that sentence again.  It is very short.  But, It is a sentence filled with intense emotion and pain.  I hope you never forget where you were on September 11th, 2001.  I was in chapel at Bob Jones University when an announcement was made informing us all of what was happening.  I still remember seeing a girl clutching her cell phone and crying.  It was as if she was desperately trying to reach someone just so that she could hear their voice.

It has been 14 years since our country was attacked.  Today we must pause and remember what happened on 9/11. There are certain events in the history of America that every American must remember.  9/11 is one of those events.  Countless events have long been forgotten.  9/11 must never be forgotten.  Today, I want to give you four reasons why we must remember 9/11.

1. The truth must not be re-written.  On 9/11, our country was attacked.  Islamic extremists murdered thousands of people.  These attackers were not Christian.  They were not Catholic.  They were not Mormon.  They were not Jehovah’s Witnesses.  They were not atheists.  They were Muslim.  They believed they were obeying Allah by murdering thousands of people.  They believed their actions were a holy act of worship.  We must remember 9/11 so that the truth is not changed.  It is possible that others will attempt to re-write the story of 9/11.  They may twist or alter the truth.  We must remember so that the truth will survive.
2. The truth must be re-told.  The only reason I know about the attack on Pearl Harbor is because someone told me.  I was not there.  I was not alive in 1941.  But, I have been taught.  I have seen the pictures.  I have read the stories.  We must remember 9/11 so that we can tell the generations to come.  My children need to learn about 9/11.  They need to hear the stories.  They need to see pictures and watch the videos.  It is important for future generations to know what happened on 9/11.
3. We must honor those who died.  Nearly 3,000 people died on 9/11.  Most were civilians – just like me.  Many were firefighters, policemen, and other emergency responders who were trying to help.  If we forget, we will fail to honor them.  We must remember that thousands of men, women, and children were murdered.  Their lives matter.  Every life matters.  We must honor their memory by remembering what happened.
4. Our turn may come.  Remembering 9/11 will help us prepare for the future.  You may find yourself on a hijacked airplane one day.  If that’s me, I hope I will have the courage (like the men on Flight 93) to stand up to the hijackers.  Perhaps one day, the terrorist attack will come to your neighborhood.  If so, I hope you will jump into action to help the injured and the hurting.  Thousands of Americans responded on 9/11 and on the days immediately following.  They disregarded their own personal safety to run to the aid of others.  There may come a day when it is our turn.  When that day comes, we must remember 9/11.  We must respond.  We must help.

Today is 9/11.  Always remember.  Never forget.

Stephen