Remembering September 12th: The Day America Stood as One

Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, 2001, the American people had no say in what happened to us.

We woke that morning expecting an ordinary Tuesday. People went to work. Children went to school. Parents kissed their families goodbye. Airplanes took off, businesses opened, and millions of Americans went about their daily lives without any idea that history was about to change forever.

Then, in a matter of hours, everything changed.

The attacks of September 11th brought unimaginable horror and loss to our nation. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives. Families were shattered. First responders ran toward danger while others ran away. The images of that day became permanently etched into the memory of a generation.

But as terrible as September 11th was, I believe there is another date we need to remember.

September 12th.

September 11th was the day America was attacked.

September 12th was the day America responded.

And that response was not simply military. It was emotional. It was spiritual. It was personal. It was the response of ordinary Americans who suddenly realized that, despite all of our differences, we belonged to something much bigger than ourselves.

For a brief moment, the political labels seemed to disappear.

Democrat. Republican. Conservative. Liberal.

Those words seemed much less important than one word:

American.

We stood together.

Flags appeared everywhere. Neighbors checked on neighbors. People lined up to donate blood. Churches opened their doors. Strangers hugged one another. Communities came together to support families who had lost loved ones.

There was grief, certainly. There was anger. There was fear.

But there was also an incredible sense of unity.

For a brief period, political arguments and partisan bickering seemed to take a back seat to something more important. We were Americans, and we were going to face what had happened together.

I remember that spirit, and I wish we could remember it today.

My prayer is that September 12th will never be forgotten.

Not because we should forget the horror of September 11th. We must never forget the innocent lives that were lost, the families that were devastated, or the courage displayed by the men and women who responded.

But perhaps we also need to remember what happened afterward.

We need to remember how Americans responded when our nation was hurting.

We need to remember the compassion.

We need to remember the courage.

We need to remember the willingness to put aside differences and stand together.

I sometimes fear that America has developed a very short memory.

Within a relatively short period of time, we began returning to the divisions that existed before September 11th. Political disagreements became personal. Americans increasingly viewed one another not simply as people with different opinions, but as enemies.

We began fighting with one another as though we were children on a schoolyard.

And while disagreement is a natural part of a free nation, there is a difference between disagreeing with someone and hating them because they disagree with you.

America was built by people who disagreed.

Our founders certainly did not agree on everything. Our history is filled with debates, arguments, elections, protests, and political battles.

But through it all, there was an understanding that the nation itself had to be greater than our individual disagreements.

That is the lesson I believe September 12th can teach us.

We don’t have to agree on everything to love America.

We don’t have to vote the same way to be neighbors.

We don’t have to share the same political opinions to respect one another.

And we certainly don’t have to destroy one another in order to defend the things we believe are important.

There is another thought that has stayed with me over the years: the reason for America’s greatness is her goodness.

I believe there is truth in that statement.

America’s greatness has never been solely about military strength, economic power, technology, or political influence. Our greatness has also been found in the character of our people—in our willingness to help those in need, defend those who cannot defend themselves, welcome those seeking a better life, and stand together when tragedy strikes.

My fear is that we are losing some of that goodness.

And if America loses her goodness, I fear she may eventually lose some of the greatness that has made her unique.

That is why I choose to post this message on September 12th rather than September 11th.

September 11th deserves our remembrance.

But September 12th deserves our reflection.

It reminds us of who we were when everything else was stripped away.

We were Americans.

We stood together.

We cared for one another.

We raised our flags.

We prayed.

We mourned together.

And we promised that the terrible events of the previous day would not define us.

Twenty-five years later, perhaps we need that reminder again.

So my prayer is simple:

Lord, help us remember September 12th.

Help us remember the unity.

Help us remember the courage.

Help us remember the compassion.

Help us remember that despite our differences, we are still one nation and one people.

May we never forget those we lost on September 11th.

And may we never forget the Americans we became on September 12th.

God bless those who were lost. God bless those who served. God bless their families. And God bless the United States of America.