Twenty-three years ago, the immediate aftermath of 9/11 was a beautiful thing.

On 9/11/2001, we watched and cried as terrorists attacked the strongest country in the world. This was before social media, before everyone had a cell phone, before you could find out what was going on immediately. We were glued to television sets and reliant on news stations to relay information as soon as it was received. It was a scary day, and an incredibly sad day. There was nothing anyone could do but watch. And what we saw on the tiny TV screens was love and loyalty and bravery beyond belief. Firemen, police officers, EMS technicians – and so many others – did not hesitate to put their own lives in danger to help those in need.

And after that day, it continued – that same love and loyalty and bravery – in the leaders who stood tall as Americans and praised those first responders as heroes, in the unexpected decency of people letting others go first in traffic, in the flag of the United States of America flying proudly outside nearly every home in every neighborhood. There was an unspoken gratitude in every conversation, and I felt once again the way I did when I was a child, and we said the Pledge of Allegiance in school – I was proud to be an American.

Flash forward to today, twenty-three years later. On 9/11/2024, not many people talked about the anniversary of that horrible day – too many of us were busy hating on the two people who are vying for the United States presidency. Those two had a debate on 9/10/2024, and on 9/11/2024, social media was a buzz of insults toward both candidates, and both candidates’ supporters. My stomach turned as I read the comments under one person’s post about the debate. The comments back and forth about the candidates were bad enough, but then the condemnatory comments about others posting took over the feed and I felt disgusted and ashamed for this country.

When did this happen? When did we all forget how to talk to each other respectfully? I have struggled with these questions for several years now, and I believed there was nothing I could do about any of this. I would ask myself – what can one person do to affect any kind of change? In asking that question of myself over and over, I have recognized that I can make a difference in my own little corner of the world. I can stop arguing politics, and start speaking more of my relationship with Christ. I can stop insisting that “my candidate” is right and “your candidate” is wrong. And, I can pray to be a beacon of light every day, that someone I encounter may be better off for having encountered me.

I am posting this message today to ask others to do the same – stop arguing, stop insisting, and please, start praying. This country was once a place of united people, all grateful for the freedoms we shared as citizens. Let us not forget what our founding fathers went through to make this country a reality. Let us not forget the wars fought to keep our freedom. Let us not forget, especially, the men and women who perished in those wars, giving their lives willingly so we could continue benefitting from that very freedom.

And let us not forget the day (and the weeks and months that followed) when terrorists attacked our country. Let us not forget what our citizens did when it happened and those days that followed – they united – not under the shadow of the evil that had struck, but under the beautiful flag that reminds us, and the world, of that freedom into which we were privileged to be born.

I highly recommend you take some time out this weekend to watch National Geographic’s 6-part documentary entitled, 9/11: One Day in America.

Remember the unity. Remember the bravery. Remember the loyalty. Remember the Love.