Five years ago today

Has it really been 5 years since that horrible day in our nation’s history? I’m sure each of us can remember that day vividly in our minds. My grandparents generation would always speak of where they were and what they were doing that fateful Sunday morning in December when Pearl Harbor was bombed. My parent’s generation would tell the same stories about where they were when JKF was assassinated in Dallas on a cool, crisp November morning. My generation will speak the same way of September 11, 2001.

I first heard the news when my wife called me at the church office and told me about a plane which had crashed into one of the World Trade Centers. I quickly relayed the news to the rest of the staff at the church and we all moved into one of the classrooms to catch the news break on TV. We hadn’t been watching more than a few minutes when live on national television the second airliner hit the other tower. It was like watching a fictional television show. You almost didn’t think it was for real.

Up until that moment it seemed like just a tragic accident, but now the entire scenario had changed drastically. For the first time in my lifetime America was under attack. Within minutes we heard word of another plane that had crashed into the Pentagon and everyone was wondering where the next attack would occur. In the end there was still one more hijacked plane heading for a target in our nation’s capitol. Fortunately for America, a group of brave passengers took matters into their own hands, sacrificing their lives to save the lives of hundreds and perhaps thousands of others. I will never forget that day.

The last 5 years have been different since that day. We are fighting wars on multiple fronts. Gas prices have skyrocketed. Air travel is constantly interrupted with threats of more attacks. I for one am very glad that we have a President that sees the war on terror as a priority and who realizes that if we do not fight terrorism on the battlefields abroad we will have to fight it again on American soil. But I also have to be honest. No matter how hard we try to protect ourselves it seems as if it is just a matter of time before tragedy strikes America again due to terrorism.

But 5 years later, one thing remains a constant. People need Jesus. As time moves on and our world becomes a more complex and dangerous place to live, now more than ever, people need Jesus. We now live in a post 9/11 world and each day brings us closer to the glorious return of Jesus Christ. You can bank on it. Terrorism will increase. Famines and Earthquakes will increase. Fierce storms such as Hurricanes and Tsunamis will be more frequent. There will be more wars and greater conflicts. And as we see these played out on television we must understand the urgency. People really do need Jesus.

So on this 5 year anniversary of September 11, 2001, as we remember that fateful day and as we honor those whose lives were snatched away at the hands of terrorists, may I remind you of something that you have heard me say often…“Evangelism must be the engine that drives the church!” Why? Because now more than ever, people need Jesus!