Memorial Thoughts

Much will be made this weekend (and has already been made in the days leading up to Monday) of the fifth anniversary of the attacks in New York City, Washington and Pennsylvania. It is important that we remember those 343 members of the NYPD and associated services who bravely lost their lives while attempting to rescue others. It is vital that we not allow ourselves to forget the tremendous breach that was made in our national psyche and sense of security. We ought to give ourselves permission to grieve and remember.

However, we must not automatically relegate the destiny of each soul ushered into eternity on that fateful day to the confines of God's eternal presence and blessing. While their loss was tragic and still brings tears to my eyes, God did not change the standards of entrance into His eternal presence for one day, one minute, one moment.

The real tragedy would be for those of us who remain to pass off considering their eternal souls because we don't want to consider that we face the same fate: death at a time of God's choosing and not our own.

Are you ready?

I find it also remarkably fitting that on the weekend when the nation will focus attention on the "needless tragedy" resulting in the death of over 3,000 innocent civilians, our church family will be focusing our attention on the needed tragic death of one innocent civilian resulting in the possibility of eternal life for the rest of the planet's occupants. This we will do in His remembrance, until He comes!