9/11: An International Tragedy

I was in a Starbucks in Lima early this morning, and a Peruvian friend came up to me and solemnly expressed his condolences over the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as we mark the 7th anniversary of the attacks today.

I grew up in Boston, where the two planes departed from that were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center twin towers in New York. I knew a woman on one of those flights. She attended the same church as me near Boston. She was a grandmother who was on her way to Los Angeles to visit her grandchildren on September 11. She never made it.

Everyone knew someone who died on September 11. The pilot of one of the hijacked flights lived near the parents of my sister-in-law. One of the flight attendants who was killed lived a few blocks away from where I grew up. Everyone knew someone who died that day.

As I spoke with my Peruvian friend at Starbucks this morning about the 9/11 attacks, I reminded him of some little-known facts. 6 Peruvians died in the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. People from over 90 different countries were killed that day. Colin Powell was in Lima, Peru, on the morning of 9/11 at the time of the attacks, meeting with Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo.

The 9/11 attacks have given us an opportunity in international ministry. Here in Peru we share the story of the 6 Peruvians who died that day, as well as the people from 90 countries who perished, to show how the terrorist attack was launched not only against the United States, but against the world. The 9/11 attacks also have given us an opportunity to tell others how no one and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not even death or the sword, and how we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:35-38). We also have used the 9/11 attacks to share God's promise found in Revelation 21:4, that in heaven He will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.

The events of September 11, 2001, were a tragedy on an international level. It is now up to us to use this tragedy to show others the internationality of it, and to use the opportunity to lead others to the feet of Christ.