A Different Skyline

Although it has been ten years since the destruction of the Twin Towers, those of us who have lived in the New York City metro area most of our lives still picture them as part of the NYC skyline. In my mind’s eye I still see them standing and expect them to be there when I catch a glimpse of Manhattan from either the west or the east. But when I look they are obviously not there.  The same is probably true for many of you. The NYC skyline has forever been changed. It will forever be a different skyline.

That day ten years ago will forever be etched in our minds. We all know that since that day, life has never and will never be the same here in the U.S. – and most especially here in New York City.  Just as those towers will never be replaced and the skyline put back the way it was, so too there are pieces of us that cannot be rebuilt.  We may have learned how to move on with life; we may have learned how to cope with new security measures; we may have learned how to keep things as normal as possible, yet there will always be something different about the skyline of our lives.

So, what does the skyline of your life look like? How about mine? Is it a skyline dominated by fear or hatred or anger? Or, is it one that is dominated by faith and hope and love? What do people take note of when they look at our lives after having gone through the horrific events that took place ten years ago—or the many other terrible things that can happen within one’s life? 

The Bible says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love… the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13-NIV)  That is, in spite of all the pain and tragedy and evil that may come into our lives, ripping apart life as we have known it, there are three towers that can forever stand: faith, hope, and love.  For those who put their trust in God, these are three towers that can never be destroyed. By God’s grace, they will always remain. Like God himself, they are eternal.

I encourage you, on this tenth anniversary weekend of September 11, 2001, to reach out to God and allow his grace to flow into your life. Although there may be parts of the skyline of your life that will be forever different, may you always be filled with faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the hope that he brings, and the love that God himself imparts into our lives. May faith, hope, and love be that which dominate the skyline of your life.   

Please remember to pray for the families who are yet grieving, for our city, our nation, and our world. 

Have a great day. 

-Pastor Tim Harris