“In the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” –Abraham Lincoln   

I am writing this on the morning of 9/11 and still processing the horrible murder of a brother in Christ, Charlie Kirk.  I share with you the reflection I shared this morning in a different work context.

September 11, 2001….May we never forget!

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. –John 15:13

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. -Romans 12:21

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” -Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Twenty-four years ago, cowardly, hate-filled terrorists hijacked planes. As a result of those evil actions, people lost their lives in New York City, Washington, D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania. May we never forget those individuals and the family and friends who have been left behind.  As terrible as the hate-filled terrorists acted that day, other people made a different choice. Other people chose to act with love and heroism, attempting to rescue those in need and prevent further destruction. I am grateful to the heroes of United Flight 93, the NYPD, the NYFD, and many other first responders.  Rescuers risked their lives and, in some cases, lost their lives.   

Given the events of twenty-four years ago and even yesterday, we realize that hate and evil exist in the world.  Until the New Heaven and New Earth, I suppose we will always see evil and hate in this current fallen world.  We don’t have to participate in it! Each day we have choices to make. We can choose the path of love, service, and sacrifice, or we can select the path of hatred and violence. We can choose to value all people because they are created in the image of God, or we can choose to devalue people.  We can make our corner of the world a better place, or we can make a corner of the world a worse place.  We can bring people up, or we can bring them down.