A letter-to-the-editor of a New York newspaper, The Hudson Reporter, begins. “The horrific attacks on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, demonstrated that the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can no longer shield us from hostilities and aggression. Those attacks were intended to demoralize us, suppress us, humiliate us, and to spread fear and hysteria among us... Instead, a miracle occurred…”
The letter stops in mid-sentence.
I can’t find the end. It’s been swallowed up in internet hell.
In honor of Patriot Day, I’ll finish the letter, maybe not as well as the original author, but here goes.
The first miracle was that we were not cowed. They did not demoralize us, suppress us, or humiliate us. Thousands of people searched for survivors and dealt with the wreckage of the Twin Towers and other buildings destroyed in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the crash field in Pennsylvania. Our American spirit was never stronger than on September 12.
In those days, Super Man still stood for Truth, Justice, and The American Way while God watched over us.
In fact, I wasn’t planning to write about September 11. Constitution Day is September 17th and there’s a lot to say about this, too. My plan was to adapt this column to a talk that I presented to a large group of the Sons of Confederate Veterans this week about Ten Things Every Citizen Should Know About the Constitution.
But God had another idea.
This morning, my husband Sybren and I were doing our daily reading out of I Chronicles. Honestly, it’s not my favorite book of the Bible, however I understand its importance and I dutifully read it and the whole Bible every year. In reading about David, the editor of my Bible inserted an article that drew a comparison between the acclaim that King David received upon ascending the throne and the acclaim that George Washington received on becoming President. His point was that both men turned all that acclaim around and pointed it back to God which had the effect of the people loving these men more because of their tremendous faith.
In case you wonder which Bible I read; I own one that’s called a Founders Bible containing essays inserted between chapters sharing stories about Godly men and women who founded our country.
So, this essay pointed out that when George Washington took his oath of office, he was in New York City standing on a balcony where everyone could witness the ceremony. The Chancellor Robert Livingston opened his Bible randomly to Genesis 49. (That chapter concerns Jacob’s prophecies about his sons, some are not-so-nice.) Then Washington placed his left hand upon the page. After he finished being sworn in, he reverently kissed the Book. Then, he went inside and gave his inaugural speech as President of the United States. He began with prayer; he called people to remember and acknowledge God, and he ended with a prayer.
When he concluded, Congress arranged for the President and all its members to walk en masse to St. Paul’s Chapel to hear Divine service. As quoted from the Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States:
“That after the oath shall have been administered to the President, he—attended by the Vice President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives—proceed to St. Paul’s Chapel to hear Divine service.”
Here’s why this story is relevant to Patriot’s Day. It’s another miracle.
St. Paul’s Chapel is footsteps away from Ground Zero and on 9-11 it went unscathed. Not a scratch. Not a window was shattered. Not even the steeple was damaged. This famous church also played a vital role during the aftermath, serving as a place for rescue workers to rest after hours of toiling with death, wreckage, fumes, and smoke. In fact, marks from the firefighters’ boots and equipment are still visible on the pews.
According to the Associated Press, the only damage to the property was that the church lost one tree. A 100-year-old sycamore fell in the church yard yet ended up serving as the chapel’s savior. It was that tree that “prevented a huge steel beam from smashing the 235-year-old church to splinters.”
Not only did this church survive 9-11, two hundred-forty-seven years ago, it also survived unscathed in the Great Fire of 1776. What a beautiful symbol of hope in a dark time!
My last miracle is about Will Jimeno. He was a 33-year-old American originally from Colombia. On that day, he was working as a NYC Port Authority police officer. After the first Tower fell, he and his fellow officers were running through hell from Tower 2 to Tower 1 when the second tower collapsed, killing several of his colleagues and burying him and his buddy alive.
He was there for thirteen hours before being rescued. His colleague who was trapped next to him fired his gun to alert people. He died. The gun caught fire from the heat and discharged 13 rounds, grazing Will’s head and burning him.
At that point, Will wanted to die. He prayed. He said, “Thank you, God, for 33 great years, but when I get to heaven, I have two requests. First, let me see my daughter being born. Second, God, I am so thirsty. I need water.” Will closed his eyes, giving up. Then he had a vision. He saw a man with long brown hair in a white robe walking to him from a tranquil lake and green meadow, holding a bottle of water!
He knew that Jesus was telling him to keep fighting or die trying. He knew it was wrong to give up on his family, give up on his country, and most of all give up on himself. What a sunrise through the darkness! Let that be our lesson. Never give up on loving God, having hope, and keeping faith.
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First published in the Brenham Banner Press on September 10, 2023
Copyrighted by Kathryn van der Pol
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