There is a pall of sadness over the land...
Earlier today Death was busy. Terrorists demolished the World Trade Center, bringing down two 110-story skyscrapers in New York City by ramming the twin towers with hijacked passenger jets. Another jet crashed into a portion of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a fourth ended up crashing into a desolate field in Pennsylvania.
It was ironic that I had just turned on my radio when the news was breaking about a plane crash, and explosion at One World Trade Center. Earlier today I had taken the inmate that I help care for, to the prison's infirmary for his morning medications and treatment. I had just arrived back at my cell about 8:30 and was looking forward to a visit from my Christian brother Jess, who usually comes around 9:00. But at 8:45 I sensed that I should turn on my radio. Even though I am about 100 miles away from New York City, I can get many of the city's stations loud and clear on my little radio. So I tuned to CBS's all news station, as I usually do each day. Their traffic chopper had just arrived at the horrendous scene, and the news reporter on board was beginning to report the first details of the incident. As the minute-by-minute reports began coming in, I knew this was a bad situation and that it could yet get worse. I prayed as I listened.
I doubt that anyone could have imagined all that would follow. As the first fire intensified, eighteen minutes after the first crash a second jet slammed into the other tower. It all sounded so unbelievable. Sadly, the situation continued to worsen.
Shortly after 9:00 I was called to the visiting room to meet with Jess. We had tears in our eyes as we embraced. The prison guards had a TV on in the room, so we were able to watch the events unfold on CNN. Even as we watched in disbelief, we prayed. Word was coming in that police officers and firemen might be trapped in the burning buildings. Minutes later, the first tower collapsed, followed soon after by the second. It all seemed so unreal. In addition, we heard news reports that another plane had crashed into the Pentagon, and yet another into a field in Pennsylvania. The survivor count for the passengers on board all four jets was zero.
As we tried to absorb the horror of the attack against our nation, one particular Scripture kept coming to my mind, the shortest scripture in the entire Bible: "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). I have no doubt that Jesus did indeed weep today. His heart is broken over man's murderous cruelty. And as I sit here this evening in my prison cell, still glued to the radio, I can only be thankful for those who managed to escape from those buildings.
I don't know what the outcome of all this will be, but I do not think that America will ever be the same. I know I won't be. Right now, I feel more committed to the Lord than ever before. And right now, I have much more praying to do.
D.B.
It was ironic that I had just turned on my radio when the news was breaking about a plane crash, and explosion at One World Trade Center. Earlier today I had taken the inmate that I help care for, to the prison's infirmary for his morning medications and treatment. I had just arrived back at my cell about 8:30 and was looking forward to a visit from my Christian brother Jess, who usually comes around 9:00. But at 8:45 I sensed that I should turn on my radio. Even though I am about 100 miles away from New York City, I can get many of the city's stations loud and clear on my little radio. So I tuned to CBS's all news station, as I usually do each day. Their traffic chopper had just arrived at the horrendous scene, and the news reporter on board was beginning to report the first details of the incident. As the minute-by-minute reports began coming in, I knew this was a bad situation and that it could yet get worse. I prayed as I listened.
I doubt that anyone could have imagined all that would follow. As the first fire intensified, eighteen minutes after the first crash a second jet slammed into the other tower. It all sounded so unbelievable. Sadly, the situation continued to worsen.
Shortly after 9:00 I was called to the visiting room to meet with Jess. We had tears in our eyes as we embraced. The prison guards had a TV on in the room, so we were able to watch the events unfold on CNN. Even as we watched in disbelief, we prayed. Word was coming in that police officers and firemen might be trapped in the burning buildings. Minutes later, the first tower collapsed, followed soon after by the second. It all seemed so unreal. In addition, we heard news reports that another plane had crashed into the Pentagon, and yet another into a field in Pennsylvania. The survivor count for the passengers on board all four jets was zero.
As we tried to absorb the horror of the attack against our nation, one particular Scripture kept coming to my mind, the shortest scripture in the entire Bible: "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). I have no doubt that Jesus did indeed weep today. His heart is broken over man's murderous cruelty. And as I sit here this evening in my prison cell, still glued to the radio, I can only be thankful for those who managed to escape from those buildings.
I don't know what the outcome of all this will be, but I do not think that America will ever be the same. I know I won't be. Right now, I feel more committed to the Lord than ever before. And right now, I have much more praying to do.
D.B.