A Tragedy Remembered

It is hard to believe that we are about to mark the 5th anniversary of the one of the darkest days in our nation’s history. It ha s been five long years since we saw the chilling images of the death that was worked on us by Muslim terrorists. Five years may have sanitized the imag es, but the horror is still there.

I have been watching some of the specials on networks like the History Channel that chronicle the events that led up to the images of the planes crashing and buildings collapsing. There may well be some who wonder why we remember. It is hard to remember the things we saw. Needless death is something we don’t want to recall.

However, it is critical that we do remember. For if we forget we forget the other images. The images of firemen, police officers and just ordinary folk who rushed into the buildings at the same time that everyone else was running away. Their selfless sacrifice cannot be forgotten. .

We Christians know how to remember a tragedy. We do it each and every week. Every time we make the sign of the Holy Cross, we remember a tragedy. Every time we open the pages of the Bible, we remember a tragedy. When we come to the rail and take into our mouths the body and blood of Christ, we remem ber a tragedy. For the greatest tragedy of all time is that of the cross. What Jesus did there was a tragedy for him. He did not deserve it. Religious zealots worked this tragedy. But Jesus willingly endured it.

Jesus rushed into our sinful world so as to deliver us from the ravages that we deserved. He did what was most selfless. He did it not for nameless, faceless people. He did it for YOU. And He did it while you were still a sinner. You didn’t deserve it at all. But that is why He came. He came to rescue you from certain, eternal, death.

So it is now fitting that we remember. We remember the images of death; Death on a cross for the sake of sinners. This is a death that sets us free from the enemies who would seek to work upon us the same destruction that the godless terrorists worked on our nation just five short years ago.

We can’t forget. We dare not forget. For when we do, those who served and died did so for nothing. This is true of those brave firefighters and police officers. It is even truer of Jesus. Remem ber all this in worship. Return to the place where you can remember just how much Christ has done for you.