by Bill Fix
Every American around the age of 25 or older likely remembers September 11, 2001. We remember where we were, what we were doing, and whom we saw as we heard and watched the terrorist attacks unfold that day. We remember how we felt and the uncertainty of that week. I remember the stunning image of thick smoke constantly billowing out of the twin towers and the shock of people falling or jumping to their certain deaths from the top floors of the buildings…
On September 11 this year, why did we see various memorial events 20 years later? Memorials remind us of history and allow us to mourn a loss and celebrate those who acted heroically to save others. It’s difficult to watch the news footage from that day or listen to the voicemails victims left for their loved ones as they called from hijacked planes or burning buildings and not think of the families who suffered a permanent loss of a parent or spouse. We remember.
We see other memorials around us every day: statues, tombstones, roadside markers where a life was lost in an auto accident, etc. Memorials make sure we don’t forget.
On a spiritual level, we observe a memorial every Sunday to remind us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. While we can’t watch a video recording of it, we can read detailed, vivid eyewitness accounts in the gospels of how Jesus suffered and died for our sins. Through it all, Jesus didn’t object or complain. Instead, he demonstrated compassion, love, and concern for others, making arrangements for his mother to be cared for (Jn. 19:25-27). “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Lk. 23:34). Our memorial today is the Lord’s Supper. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). Let us never forget the sacrifice our Lord made for us. Let’s not take this memorial lightly or observe it less frequently to “make it more meaningful…” Let’s examine ourselves when we partake (1 Cor. 11:27-29). Let’s reread those gospel accounts so we always keep the memory of our Savior’s sacrifice and love for us ever foremost in our minds.