September 11th marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the United States, which caused deaths and injuries in New York, Washington, D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania. I was the police chief in Northfield, Minnesota, when the attacks occurred.
We were on edge because Northfield was located within the Twin Cities metro area, and intelligence indicated that the area was also a potential target for a terrorist attack. The next few days brought a lot of shattered nerves and exhausted first responders. What I noticed immediately was the amazing display of U.S. flags throughout the community. The churches were suddenly overflowing, as were the bars. It was an unusual contrast, but in retrospect, I understand it. People looked to God for reassurance and unfortunately many turned to earthly things like alcohol to manage their fear. The patriotic displays were an attempt to reconcile shock and fear people felt and to reassure one another that we would survive.
One morning, my office manager let me know there was a group of second graders in the office asking to see me. They, along with their teacher, had brought art the kids had drawn as a thank-you to the police and firefighters for their work and efforts. The community as a whole found comfort in reaching out to first responders. We posted the pictures the kids brought us in the lobby of our office reception area. One picture caught my attention. A young girl had drawn a picture of her family giving a gift to a police officer. It was a standard stick-figure drawing, and like most kids that age, she included a blue sky and green grass. She had drawn a sun located up in the corner of the picture, and the sun was crying, with tears falling.
I made a promise that day that I would do everything in my power to guard our community from the fear brought on by the cowardly attacks of September 11th. Today, I share the reassurance found in the promise of Jesus Christ: nothing can defeat the love that Jesus shares with us. Nothing can defeat God.
We will spend a moment of silence during worship on September 6th to remember those who were lost on September 11th and in the years that followed as our nation continued the fight against terrorism. If you are nearby, join us at the Westminster United Presbyterian Church in Minden, Nebraska, 9;30 worship.