Where Were You?

One of my favorite songs, and one that I am sure is being played way too much this week is “Where Were You” by Alan Jackson. This song always makes me tear up, but has so much more meaning this week. Not only is this a great song, but it is also based a question that I have talked about a thousand times with a thousand different people, and look back on with so much prayer this week.

Where was I? I was an eighth grader enjoying a morning at home during track out. I wanted a trumpet lesson so I called my Grandfather to see if they could come pick my baby sister and myself up. Before I could ask Grandaddy, he told me to hold on, that a plane had just crashed into the twin towers. Like I said, I was in eighth grade so I really had no idea what that meant so he clarified that it was the WTC and right away I knew this wasn’t good. Noel was upset because I changed the channel from Disney to the News (for some reason I feel like we weren’t supposed to be watching TV anyway…). Every time a plane went overhead, I was terrified. I watched the second plane crash, standing there with my little sister. The rest of the day was spent with my Grandparents, Aunt, and cousins. I was furious because I wasn’t allowed to watch the coverage because according to my Aunt, I was too young and impressionable. Instead, we set up a black and white TV in the lesson room and watched cartoons- me, my 5th grade sister, 4 year old cousin, and I guess 1 year old cousin (maybe 2 years old). I never got my trumpet lesson.

I am probably in one of the younger groups that really remembers, and understood at the time what was happening. I don’t know that my sister understood, she definitely didn’t think it was important enough to take the place of Disney, but how could she know differently? You don’t really start talking about things like the WTC until Middle School. Part of me wishes I could have been at school that day. I never got to take part in the assemblies that I think would have meant so much. I didn’t get to be with my friends who needed support and would have supported me. I was young, but I new that this was a terrible thing and I remember saying right away “it was a terrorist attack”, before the news confirmed it. I was old enough to begin to grasp it, and I was terrified. My older sister was at school (she was in 11th grade), and I remember hearing that one of the band students lost family and had to watch it happen. I remember finding out that my cousin was supposed to be working in one of the buildings that day, but was running late. I was constantly terrified that one of my other cousins would be called away for service with the Army, and oddly enough he never went, but another cousin was deployed this year. I lived in Raleigh, was 13 years old, and didn’t even know what the twin towers were before that morning, yet it still has such a great impact on my life.

In the years following 9/11, I got to see Ground Zero twice. The first time, everything was covered in snow and you could barely see your hand in front of your face, yet there was a very eery feeling. The following week I went back on another trip and actually saw it this time. I saw the remaining rubble. I saw the cross that remained standing when everything else fell. I was able to stand there and remember where I was that day, and remember all those affected by it. We visited the church across the street, with tears streaming down our faces. The comfort in all of this was recognizing how far we had come in those 3 short years, in so many ways.

When I remember 9/11 though, I try not to think about my anger at not being able to watch. I don’t think about laying in Mom’s bed the next week watching the hour special on ABC, seeing everything I didn’t see before. I don’t think about the fear that I had that morning, home alone with my baby sister trying to make sense of things on my own because you couldn’t even make a phone call (I was lucky to make the one to my Grandparents). I think about the cross that remained when everything else fell. I think of the church across the street that stayed strong as the rest of the world came crashing down around it.

Yes, 9/11 was a tragic incident that I will never forget. It has changed our personal lives, our country, and the world. It is something that is very difficult to look back on without sadness in our hearts. However, I think that as we approach the 10th anniversary of this tragic day, we should remember first and foremost that this is the day that we came together. This is probably the only day in the history that we ourselves can vividly remember (especially those around my age), that there was no longer black or white, rich or poor, Christian or Muslim (unfortunately, probably the last day that Muslim’s were not “cast out” so to speak, as we did not yet know the circumstances of the hijacking). The United States, and I would even say the world, were exactly what the scripture means when it says “one body”. We watched, cried, prayed, sat, listened, spoke, and worshiped together- for that one single day. That day was quite possibly the strongest that this country has ever been in my 23 years of life, and even beyond.

The tragic events of that day tore down our buildings, took lives of our loved ones, more than shook our government, and have led to so much despair ever since. However, those tragic events also built up our community in ways that nothing else ever could. As we remember 9/11 throughout the rest of this week and the weeks and years to come, lets not forget the incredible things that came from it (I am in no way saying that this was a good thing, because it is the worst thing that I ever remember happening to our country). Lets come together again, rich and poor, black and white, Christian AND Muslim. Lets form the single body of Christ once more, and keep it. It is ok to be sad and afraid, but the pain is lessened just a bit when we are together. We are so much stronger when we stand together and even though our buildings may come crashing down around us, our economy crashes through floor, our government doesn’t know which way is up, and we have people fielding phone calls and emails and webpages and who knows how many other forms of threat our country, no one can ever bring down the one single body of Jesus Christ.

No matter your ethnicity, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, weight, appearance, age, job… reach out to your neighbor and REMEMBER not just the bad, but the good. Because when you play “Red Rover” at camp, we all know the stronger the grip between each person, the harder it is for the “enemy” to break through.

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

[Chorus:]
I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Or go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns?

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Did you stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?

[Repeat Chorus 2x]
And the greatest is love.
And the greatest is love.

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?

"Where Were You?" Alan Jackson