9/11: One Year Later

One year ago today the unthinkable happened. 19 hijackers commandeered four jet airplanes. Two struck the two tall towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. One slammed into the Pentagon building. Yet another seemed head for a target in Washington, DC, the capital of the United States. It is uncertain whether the target of Flight 93 was the Capitol Building, the White House (Executive Mansion), or another building in DC (a tape received by al-Jazera indicates the U. S. Capital was the target). Roughly 3000 people lost their lives in the twin towers, in the Pentagon, in a Pennsylvania field, and in the four aircraft.

In a piece I wrote the evening of the disaster many things were unknown. Estimates of a death toll were estimated at 10,000 or more at the World Trade Center location. The latest official tally now stands at 2800-2900 casualties. Experts estimated that the site, now known as "Ground Zero," would take years to clean up the tons of rubble. Today the rubble is cleared away and the debate is on as to how the site should be rebuilt. Traffic at the site is restored and buildings still standing and solid architecturally are once again occupied (although some tenants have found new quarters away from the scene of devastation).

The United States is also in the middle of a war on terrorism. In Afghanistan the Taliban was toppled and a new government attempts to rebuild a nation torn by decades of war. Debate now centers on Iraq-is Iraq a sponsor of terrorism and should the regime be replaced? Either way you view the situation, the government in place in Iraq is a power that has power because God is in control of princes and principalities. Israel in the Old Testament was plagued by the same problems and was held captive for 70 years by the precursor to the Baghdad government when the city went by the name "Babylon." If it is God's will, the Iraqi government will topple; if not, it will remain in power.

Immediately after 9/11 Americans sought changes. Airports became more security-conscious. Americans began to worship in churches, synagogues, and mosques. It seemed that in the tragedy Americans rediscovered God. However, statistics seem to indicate that we feel more secure again and are irritated by airport delays and find little time to seek solace from God.

Americans have also been racked by scandals in the corporate world where accounting and bookkeeping in some quarters used sleight-of-hand. What was lost in the high-profile cases is the fact that a majority of companies actually release accurate numbers. But the economy is still sluggish. Airlines still struggle to find profitability. Housing is up but that is likely due to low interest rates. Automobile sales are holding but, again, 0% financing and other incentives prop up this industry. My pastor in the months after 9/11 remarked that it appeared industries were looking to implode in the wake of the tragedy. That remains to be seen.

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