I didn’t know what to expect. The TV news relayed messages from the NYPD about a “credible threat” on the weekend of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Neither Mike nor I were in the US ten years ago on that fateful Tuesday morning. I was in Germany, preparing to return to the Middle East. Mike was on a cruise with his sister in Jamaica. For us, the tenth anniversary was an opportunity to connect with a part of our US culture which we missed out on.
Mike participated in several events hosted throughout the weekend by Pace University. They lost 47 students and faculty when the planes hit the Twin Towers.
Saturday morning Mike, my sister Carrie and I joined two of our friends for Hand-in-Hand-9/11, an event during which thousands of people held hands around lower Manhattan and observed a moment of silence when the first plane struck the South Tower.
On Tuesday we went to the 9/11 Memorial with some of the people from our ministry team. With passes reserved two months prior, we were able to spend the time in prayer for the families of the victims and for the survivors of the tragedy.
The Memorial is beautiful. With 200 trees currently planted, and 200 more slated for planting soon, the shady area is a welcome relief from the sun. The trees surround the footprints of the towers where now two huge fountains exist. It’s like holy ground, for nearly half of the people murdered in the attacks have never been identified. This is their final resting ground.
Its quiet there. You can hear the water falling, continually. People make rubbings of the names, and though it seems so intimate, strangers gather around to watch. Someone asked me to take photographs of them while they made their rubbings to take home. It’s horrifying, beautiful, peaceful, and serene. People walk around with hands over their mouths, tears streaming down their cheeks. One woman had to be helped to the exit by (presumably) a family member. It’s a place of sorrow, and yet a place of hope.