9/11: From Memory To History

I heard a journalist recently say that 25 years transitions a memory into history. An entire generation is absent of the emotional toll and overall impact of a memory that occurred 25 years ago. An entire generation that experienced the trauma is slowly becoming a minority.

“Never Forget” became the slogan synonymous with September 11, 2001. On newspapers then and today in social media stories. In the political divisiveness and rhetoric that controls our feeds, while not forgotten, it is evident that 9/11 has become a historical moment and less of a memory today.

If we remembered what it was like to care for our neighbor, to love our country, to come together collectively in prayer, asking God for wisdom, direction, and healing. If we remembered the weight of the loss we felt 25 years ago, perhaps then we could truly say, “I haven’t forgotten.”

While the imagery has not slipped into obscurity, the impact in many ways has. My prayer for our country is that we remember September 11, 2001, in its entirety. Churchill once said, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” In that same spirit, history records the timeline, but memory preserves the soul. If we let 9/11 become just another page in a textbook, we risk forgetting the love, resilience, and unity that defined our survival.

I pray for revival. I pray we remember.