Nine Eleven

Okay, I’m jumping on the 9/11 bandwagon. I don’t know how you could have missed it … but just in case, this Sunday marks the 10 year anniversary. There are many memorials planned including at the site of ground zero, the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania. Here at St. John’s there will even be a 24 hour prayer vigil where members have been signing up to take turns coming to the chapel to pray from 7:00pm Saturday through 7:30am worship on Sunday.

And sad, but true, there’s lots of “drama” or “issues” to go along with these memorials. For example, despite the fact that it is directed by Scripture, people could be caught off guard by the fact that we are being asked to pray for our enemies during this time of remembrance. And then there is the whole Mayor Bloomberg vs. Pastor Rick Warren scenario as Mayor Bloomberg has decided to omit prayer during the 9/11 commemoration at ground zero. Warren has decided to hold a prayer service at Saddleback’s sister church in Manhattan (two blocks from ground zero). You can read an article with the details by clicking here.

But I’m jumping on the bandwagon in writing about the 10th anniversary of 9/11 because I just had to put things in perspective for myself. It’s been on my mind for a while now because last month as I wrote this Sunday’s Sunday school lesson on Matthew 18 (The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant), I had to consider the youth for whom I was writing it.

The reality of the situation is that our current 12th grade class was born around 1993-1994 (when I was a junior in high school). This made them 7 or 8 years old at the time of September 11th. The current 6th grade class was born around 1999 or 2000 (when I was graduating college), making them just 1 or 2 years old at the time of the attacks. So MOST of the memories those involved in youth ministry have are of the post-nine eleven world. And, this week, all you have to do is turn on the TV to hear about all of the changes – airports, security, war, church, life in general!

Then, this morning it hit me. I literally can’t watch the news reports and interviews about 9/11/01 without crying. It has been 24 years since my father was killed by a drunk driver and about ten years after his death, I was able to talk about him / look at photos mostly without crying. But, it’s been ten years and just this morning, I was crying a belly-wrenching cry from an interview on the families of 9/11 and where they are today. Over 3,000 children lost a parent that day … that is the statement from the Today Show that brought forth my tears this morning.

I can remember EXACTLY where I was and what I was doing on that Tuesday morning, ten years ago. I can remember watching the Today Show and seeing the black smoke billowing from the first tower. As most people did, I had several connections to the events of 9/11/01. I was a volunteer firefighter during the time of 9/11 and the “brotherhood” that exists made me ache for my fellow firefighters on the scene in NY; it was a pride thing, I guess you could say. Also, my uncle worked at the Pentagon and I can remember the anticipation of waiting to hear if he was okay. So for me, 9/11 was very personal and has since shaped the way I think and do (or don’t do – i.e. firefighting) many things.

But not the students with whom we work and serve. They don’t have those memories. They are simply living under the shadows (so to speak) of this and other horrific events every day. They’ve heard the stories and scene the pictures and uncensored Youtube videos of 9/11. It is not so easy to “protect” and “shield” our children from violence, war, crime, rumors, and events like 9/11. The influence of media is ridiculous (but the norm) and social media / texting makes IMMEDIATE conversation and communicating information possible ... just think about when the earthquake struck a few weeks ago … almost every Facebook status update and tweet was about it for several hours!

So, I don’t know how we adapt and adjust to these facts in the best way, but as youth ministers and youth workers … we must. For example, for youth that don’t have a frame of reference of why bad things happen to good people (i.e. death of a loved one, sickness, etc.), I think 9/11 can be a good point of reference. And, certainly, proposing the question of where was God on 9/11 could spark a good discussion amongst youth and their leaders (or parents).

Regardless, we must remember, this is THEIR world and is ALL today’s youth have ever known. Honoring that and using things like media and instant communication to our advantage is a must. And, thankfully, that can be a creative challenge that looks differently from context to context.