By Amanda Horne
Remember
There are not many other words which provoke more feeling and thought than the word remember. It is a call to action, a soft reply, a moment of nostalgia, a bit of sadness, a touch of joy…. A solemn hush will fall over any crowd at the command to “remember.” Passions and ideas are called into being, or held in question at the sound of, “We remember.” Memorials rise and infrastructures fall when one or many simply…remember. What happens to you when one makes the call for all people to remember?
This year marks 25 years of remembering. We have all heard the story told again and again. Perhaps you have read a book as I have of one survivor’s story among hundreds who could “never forget” their thoughts, actions and emotions from that day. Maybe you had a teacher who paused class to play clips, interviews, or share their own memories. Or could it be that you are one who visits a grave each September, working to bring back memories that fade increasingly as the years go by? The memories, perhaps, are different for you than they are for a neighbor, colleague, or friend. Nevertheless, we all are affected and called to action by the tragedies of 9/11.
All three of my brothers are currently serving in the United States military. Though each of them is in different branches (and love to flex their rightly accrued strengths to each other), they all speak of the unity they feel inside of the “brotherhood.” (And sisterhood, for our brave female soldiers). Seeing the service, devotion, and heart that they display towards one another and the greater cause they serve inspires me as one seemingly ordinary American citizen. Let me ask you: have tribes, teams, and bands such as theirs ever put a longing in your heart to “be a part of something bigger than yourself”? Do you look at them and wonder how the world could be changed if we all shared their passion and grit? I do. When I think of America, and her current state, I am brought very low. Do our passion and unity reflect that which my brothers and all our soldiers and veterans display? If the answer is yes, then praise God! If the answer is no, how can we change for the greater?
We have heard of the unity that took place in the aftermath of 9/11. Something somber and quiet, but strong and heartfelt! Following world wars, America saw parades, celebrations, and an explosion of patriotism. Indeed, we must be grateful that following hardship, there often comes a season of rejoicing, grateful reflection, or in some cases, radical action. Let us not, however, lose the strong bonds and values that our fathers, mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers built during those times!
Let us remember, day after day and year after year, the sacrifices, of course, but also the victories! Sacrifices remind us of the pain, the community, and the healing, but it is the victories that remind us of the fact that when we are together and when we have a vision, great strength is present.
I am calling you today to remember.
Remember the heroes, the slain, and the desolation that was witnessed. Remember also, we must NEVER forget the renewal, the heart, and the victory! Renewal, because in the place of destruction we built a memorial and a place for new beginnings. Heart, because our nation bonded together knowing that we all have this thing in common: WE ARE AMERICANS. Victory, because although we may have literally been torn down, we rose up again. Everyone falls. The winners are those who get back up. Proverbs 24:16 states, “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.” (Scripture taken from New American Standard Bible 1995).
Let us remember.
