nmah159.xml

nmah159.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-19

I was sitting in my front room waiting to go to a 12-Step meeting when I heard on the TV about the first plane crash. It was reported as an air tragedy at the time. My first thought was that it was impossible for a plane to crash into a building like that. I didn't have any theories about what really was going on. I was in a bit of shock that this could happen. Then the news of a possible terrorist attack was announced. My first thought was of the victims. I asked myself questions like, "Who were these people?" "Did they have God in their lives?" More questions arose from within me. The second plane hit while I was watching the TV, and all of a sudden my deepest fears surfaced. Could this really be happening in the USA? My heart sank deeper into despair, vulnerability, and anger. I prayed, and left to go to my meeting. At the meeting I told some people what had just happened, and I saw the look in them that I just experienced in myself- now I knew what I looked like upon hearing the news myself. I, was written all over the faces of those I told.

I heard an interview, post terrorist attacks, from a journalist talking to a man from Pakistan. The man from Pakistan said to the reporter, "If I asked you who you were you would say that I'm an American. But if you asked me who I was, I would say I am a Muslem from Pakistan." That comment affected me deeply and caused me to search for my own identity. Yes I am an American, but now I think it is more important to identify that I am a Christian living in the USA.

That we are not alone when it comes to hatred. Many hate the USA. We should seek to answer why we are hated so much. We should look at the part we have played in this happening. If we don't we will have more attacks upon this great nation. We must change our approach to dealing with other countries and realize that a country is really made up of people first, and politics second. We as a nation should release the control we have on food. Would Jesus take food away from us? He instead fed his enemies. We should do the same. We are punishing the wrong people.

Yes, but more imortantly I asked God to forgive this country for all of its sins, and to help guide us through these times with wisdom, love, and restraint.