By John Bornschein, Vice Chairman, National Day of Prayer Task Force
On September 11, 2001, the United States witnessed first hand the horror of terrorism and the barbarism of extremists willing to take any and all life. America the great, an impervious superpower had been wounded leaving behind a scar that remains for generations to come.
I still remember the day as though it were yesterday. The ache in my stomach nearly paralyzed my body as I froze in disbelief while the events unfolded before my eyes on television. Every passing minute felt like an eternity as I watched my fellow Americans suffering – lost in confusion and gripped with fear of the unknown. Instantly, my heart was broken for my country.
My soul absorbed every horrifying second and in those moments I did not see strangers running out of the burning buildings nor were there faceless names lost in the aircraft used for such destruction. Rather, I saw family. My brothers and sisters were dying. The sorrow I felt was as intense as I have ever experienced and it is a feeling I will not soon forget.
In those hours and weeks to follow, we were a nation no longer divided by politics, socioeconomic, ethnicity, or religion. Before the finger pointing and weakness of our humanity surfaced again, we were able to put aside our differences and hold high the arms of those around us in pride as one nation united.