The events of September 11, 2001 are burned into my memory. I remember hearing the news of the Twin Towers being bombed, which is what a friend told me had happened as I walked into my office to start the day. Then the news shifted and I heard the Pentagon had been bombed. My first thought was that this must be some sort of sick joke. How could a bomb get past Pentagon security? As more details emerged over the course of the morning, a palpable darkness began to settle on our nation. We would never be the same.
The heartbreaking events and images are still very present with me today. Every September as I relive the events of 9/11 while teaching my kids, the heartbreak I felt on that day feels fresh. Nineteen years later, I can still remember exactly how the downtown Los Angeles skyline looked that day as I stared out the window wondering if a west coast city would get hit next. I was only eighteen at the time, and nineteen years later, it is still hard to make sense of such tragedy.
How Do We Teach Our Kids About Tragedy?
It can be difficult to teach our kids about hard topics, like the attacks on September 11, 2001. Their young minds don’t understand the political nature of war. They don’t necessarily see the long term view, that eventually evil will be overcome by good. How do we teach them about tragedy in a way their young minds can understand? How do we express the heartbreak, while teaching them about hope?
Look for the Helpers
The great Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fame once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” The wisdom of Mr. Rogers rings true when we teach our kids about tragic events, like those of 9/11. We can find helpers in the heroes of the New York City Fire Department. These heroes ran into the burning towers to rescue the precious lives that were caught in the middle of this unexpected war. We can tell the story of Todd Beamer and the helpers on Flight 93, who sacrificed themselves to save those on the ground who were unknowingly in the path of the terrorists that day.
In the days, weeks and months following the attacks of 9/11, more helpers and heroes became visible. Countless men and women in our nation’s armed services prepared themselves, and ran into the fight. Just a few days after the terrorist attack, a good friend of mine made a heroic decision to be a helper. Our nation was still in turmoil and we didn’t know much about what was going to happen, but we knew that our country was at war. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, for no other reason than for love of his country and the people in it.
Helpers like the ones mentioned above, have a way of rising up and casting light in the shadows of darkness that cover these tragedies. Let’s teach our kids to look for the helpers, so that they may one day grow up to be one.
Still True Today
The wise words of Mr. Rogers were true on September 11, 2001, and they stand true today. As we are in the midst of a global pandemic, and nightly violence plagues some of our American cities, let’s look for the helpers. Point our kids to those who are bringing hope and healing in these difficult places. Then after we teach our kids to find the helpers, let’s set the example and be one.
The Love of God
I was going to end this post with the line right above this, but one of my memories of the days following the attacks of 9/11 was a speech President George W. Bush made. Actually, it was the end of his speech in which he quoted Romans 8:38 that stuck with me. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Not terrorist attacks, or viruses, or riots. It’s not possible. This is the most important thing we can teach our kids in the midst of tragedy and chaos and even pandemics. So, I will conclude this post with those words from Paul in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, norheight nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (ESV)
To Learn More:
September 11: Photos of the Worst Terrorist Attack on US Soil