9/11: A Chaplain Remembers

If this content resonates with you, share your thoughts in the comments below.

In case you never saw the Sunday edition of The New York Times, September 16, 2001,
I assure you that its contents would deeply move the hearts of most Americans. I still
have my copy, purchased only a couple of blocks from Ground Zero on that first Sunday after 9/11.

The terrorist attacks had left America and most of the world in a heartbroken stupor. Answers were few at that point, and everyone was a mix of shock and confusion.

About 24 hours after 9/11 had happened, I arrived in NYC with staff members from the famed Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, driving up in vans from North Carolina. Teams had been hastily assembled, and we quickly came to minister as best we could to the souls in New York. There were ministers/chaplains (such as myself), and technicians (coming to set up banks of phones for people to call in for counseling and prayer). Staff from Rev. Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse provided some of the most skilled disaster relief personnel in the world.

Of those who learned of 9/11 secondhand, it is hard to convey how entrenched in PTSD the nation was in those days. Yet throughout NYC, heroism could be seen in every direction one looked: Dust-covered cops dug survivors to safety, hands bloodied by sharp debris, fighting time alongside first responders of every sort.

Also rising to the call of duty were cadaver dogs¾ valiant K9’s trained to locate bodies. I remember watching the dogs’ handlers put leather “booties” on their feet, protecting the paws that walked the dangerous rubble. These amazing service dogs scoured the debris, smelling and searching. When one would stop suddenly, look back at their master, and then sit solemnly and motionless, you knew what was beneath. It was touching, heartbreaking, and at the same time, somehow inspiring.

The only sight that seemed more ubiquitous than NYC Firefighters was Mayor Guiliani himself. I believe Guiliani’s presence was truly comforting to the city and the nation, and he seemed to be everywhere, taking charge, shouting out equal measures of directives and words of inspiration.

Our nation had been wickedly violated, innocent victims were dead, and survivors were heartbroken. It was time to call out to God in prayer, hear the balm of Scriptures like Psalm 23, and unite together as one people.

And for a brief time, these things truly happened.

The days were chaotic, the encounters with people of every background were unforgettable. The National Guard's historic 69th Regiment Armory, also known as the Lexington Avenue Armory, became an information hub for people searching for missing loved ones. Pictures and posters of lost men, women, and children were all over the outside walls, wrapping around all sides of the building. Shrines and memorials remained on the sidewalks for weeks, candles seemed lit in perpetuity, and hundreds of open Bibles were reverently placed around.

Under a poster of a missing little girl was her pink, Barbie bicycle, training wheels still attached. Reading the poster’s plea for help, the child’s father grabbed me, sobbing. I’ll never forget the dear man’s pleading expression as he begged me to pray for God to bring back his daughter.

The people and posters around the Armory were the embodiment of hopelessness. We must not forget the worldview that did this to the American people.

The world still cares about the USA

On the Sunday after 9/11, newspapers from throughout the US carried dozens of full-page ads placed by foreign countries, expressing condolences and support for our country. There were more than 20 such full-page ads in the Wall Street Journal, alone. I’ve kept these papers and still occasionally read these “post 9/11, newsprint sympathy cards” again.

The civilized world became our ally at that historic moment. Nations were publicly eager to speak up for the people who had repeatedly stepped up in their times of need¾ the United States. Greece, France, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, et al . . . all placed full-page ads that expressed sadness, but also pledged resolve to stand with America¾ no matter what. I remember standing in New York, less than one week after the attacks, reading condolences from the nations.

Especially moving was the double-sized ad from . . . Israel. In language that would have stirred all but the hardest of hearts, Israel acknowledged they never had a better friend than the United States. Israel’s NYT full-centerfold promised that they were honored to return the favor and stand with America.

Its “only” 25 years since 9/11, and yet we live in a different world. The Smithsonian says that the “real tragedy” of September 11 is the spread of Islamophobia. There is, shockingly, the attempted implementation of Sharia law in US communities, record numbers of Islamic ideologues are running for¾ and holding offices in government, and New York City has a Muslim, Marxist mayor.

America, America! Remember 9/11.

Please Note: We moderate all reader comments, usually within 24 hours of posting (longer on weekends). Please limit your comment to 300 words or less and ensure it addresses the content. Comments that contain a link (URL), an inordinate number of words in ALL CAPS, rude remarks directed at the author or other readers, or profanity/vulgarity will not be approved.