Remembering 9/11 requires more than recalling where we were that morning 25 years ago or honoring those who died. It requires moral clarity about evil, gratitude for sacrifice, vigilance toward and courage in confronting the threats that remain, and a humble acknowledgment of our dependence upon God.
Nearly 3,000 were killed in the attacks by Islamic terrorists that morning, while the consequences continue among first responders and survivors who suffer from Ground Zero-related illnesses.
Earlier this week, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called for “moral clarity” in preserving history and distinguishing between the terrorists who attacked the city and the heroes who ran into the towers to save innocent lives.
Tisch made her comments at the unveiling of a new 9/11 Memorial Wall that includes the names of 469 officers who have died of Ground Zero-related illnesses. Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), the city’s first Muslim mayor, sat stone-faced during Tisch’s remarks.
The call for moral clarity is warranted. Days before Tisch’s remarks, Mamdani gave the ceremonial pen from the executive order recognizing 9/11 to his chief counsel, who helped draft the order. The moral equivocation lies in Mamdani’s decision to use a ceremony honoring the victims of 9/11 to recognize an attorney who had defended a convicted al-Qaeda terrorist.
The events of 9/11 were not abstract tragedies where people lost their lives. September 11th was an act of premeditated evil driven by an ideology that hates what America was founded upon and remains identified with — biblical truth and justice. It is God’s character and His word that provide the standard by which we can distinguish between good and evil.
But remembering rightly requires examining ourselves. Did our response to that evil produce a lasting change in how we live?
I recall preaching the Sunday after the 9/11 attacks, and the church was packed. The churches remained full — for a few weeks. There were prayer meetings, and we rediscovered a sense of shared national identity, putting aside our group identities — for a few weeks.
Similarly, a year ago, when Charlie Kirk was assassinated, I was preaching the following Sunday, and the church was filled. Prayer meetings were called as people, young and old, attempted to make sense of the evil and violence that is now commonplace.
Both events revealed how fragile the world and life are and showed that Americans still knew where to turn. But reacting to momentary fear is not the same as embracing lasting faith.
King David wrote in Psalm 20:7, “Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
Chariots and horses have their place in the defense of a nation, but King David made clear that the trust for protection and for the future had to be placed in the character and promises of the Lord. America would be wise to do the same. Be prepared, be equipped, but acknowledge our dependence upon the protective hand of the Lord.
We honor the past not simply by remembering what happened, but by recovering the moral clarity, courage, and unity that make us strong. But may we sustain that strength by staying on our knees in humble dependence upon God.
