9/11

On this day of remembering one of our nation's greatest tragedies, I am also reminded of the complexity of our times, the international media we did not have almost 70 years ago on Dec 7, Pearl Harbor Day.  I wonder what that event would have looked like with the media coverage of today. Would some cult leader in Gainesville Florida with 50 members be ready to burn a bunch of fortune cookies unless they move the sushi restaurant away from the harbor? Ok I know fortune cookies are Chinese and not Japanese but it really was to show the stupidity of the current situation.
Anyway, I tuned in this morning to catch a bit of the memorial service in New York. As I watched, I wondered if the guys who planned this event had worked with me to plan church events in the past. Some of my favorite moments came in the opening remarks by the mayor.  "We are gathered here today on this day we have come to call 9/11..." Really? What did we call it before?  Next he listed the numerous times we would be observing moments of silence. I pictured a meeting where people all sat together in discussion and it started with an idea for a moment of silence at the time of the first plane crash. Then came the suggestion... well what about when the second plane hit? And then when the buildings fell? And how about the Pentagon? And the plane crash in the field of Pennsylvania? Then begins the priority setting. Well we can do the time when the buildings fell but not sure about the Pennsylvania crash or Pentagon because we are in New York. And so it goes until they settle on the 4 or so times for the moment of silence. I listened as the mayor asked the people to observe the first moment of silence. And then a bell rings. Great idea! During the moment of silence we should ring a bell. Hey wait, if we ring a bell is it still a moment of silence? Yep, this brings back great memories of planning special events.  Good thing God has lots of grace for the human race.