That Same Spirit of Unity that we had on 9/11/2001 Is Needed Today.

I am in New York today visiting a client and it is 9/11 thirteen years after the attack.  As I move through the Port Authority, I see many Port Authority Police Officers and other officials gather in front of the memorial to commemorate their fallen comrades on 9/11/2001.  

While the events of that day were unfolding, I remember at my office in NJ we could see the flames and buildings disappear, we gathered in front of the television set gripped with fear and uncertainty about our future and the future of our country.  One of my co-workers asked me what to do?  I responded “I don’t know about you, but I am going to find a conference room and pray.” 

My co-worker told others and about 15 gathered in our conference room.  They asked what scriptures and I suggested my favorite Romans 8.   Then we read Psalms 23 and recited the Lord’s Prayer.  There were no divisions for Catholic or Protestant that day, we were Christians calling on Jesus for help. 

The US Congress stood and sang God Bless America there were no divisions between Democrat or Republican, Red State or Blue State.  We were all New Yorkers and we were all Americans.  I remember the firefighters fearlessly treading into burning buildings to try to save those and lost their lives in the process.  It wasn’t just a job to them, people were in trouble and they would do all in their power to help.  The volunteers that rushed to the scene to help, not knowing what would happen, but bravely risking their lives for others. 

It is that spirit of cooperation and the calling on God to Bless us that made me proud.  As a Christian I would like all Americans to unite under our flag, but more importantly to unite under the cross.  It is that spirit of Unity that I want again.  We are weaker when we allow our differences to divide instead of finding those things that will unite us.  It is that spirit of cooperation and unity that will make America greater.  It is the uncompromising commitment to serving God and obeying his teachings by those who profess to be Christian that will make an impact on this world. 

God Bless America, God Bless us all

Thoughts of Mother and her legacy

I understand how many people say you never quite get over losing a loved one.  You learn only to live with the loss.  Today I watched a move called "The Family Stone" and it is about a gathering of a family at the home for Christmas with an ailing Matriarch.  It is a modern day classic similar to old Hollywood holiday classics.  While watching the film it triggered a memory of my own mother.  On the surface it seems the Mom character in the film was different because my mother was very religious and rigid in her beliefs.  But there is a part in the film where the mother reveals her illness and I realized my mother like the character suffered from the same illness.  I wept because I miss my mother terribly, she was an outspoken evangelist and not the traditional Mom in any sense.  I am a witness to how sweet she could be, one example is she liked giving me something even on what I thought was an obscure holiday, Valentine's day.  I am weeping as I write this.

For the rest of my life, there will be a void that no one can really fill.  Thank you Mom for your Godly example, not perfect by any means, but Faithful to God, family and her brothers and sisters in Christ may I do my best to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.  I sing often 2 songs that were sang at almost every service I went to as a young child.  "We Have Come this far by Faith" and "Only What you do for Christ will Last".