Where I Was Eleven Years Ago

Eleven years ago today didn't begin like any other day. I was in my second week of seminary. My first class was at 9:00 on Tuesdays, Old Testament with the Rev. Dr. Kathryn Roberts. That day we were learning the Hebrew alphabet--our Alph, Beth, Gimel's. About 10:00 Central, the halls began to buzz. It was my second week at school. I didn't know the rhythms. Classes were about to change. I didn't know what was going on.

After class, I needed to go to the Financial Aid Office. There seemed to be a bit of extra hustle and bustle that morning, but again, I didn't know the rhythm of the place so I didn't know anything was unusual.

When I got into the office of Glenna Balch, the seminary's Director of Financial Aid, she was listening to the radio. On second thought, in this time before smart phones and good radio on the internet, people seemed to be huddled around radios. I asked what was up and she told me.

She told me everything she knew.

Together we listened to the radio.

After a while I noticed this was the moment when I knew what the people who first heard Orson Wells' "War of the Worlds" felt. There was a big difference though, this time it was real. Listening to the world crumble before your very ears is frightening. We were over 1,700 miles from ground zero and it was frightening.

As I said, this time it was real, yes, but I imagine you know what I mean when I say it was as surreal as it was real. Incomplete news reports, the Today Show switched to the live feed (it's a time zone thing), the Pentagon had been hit, the towers had fallen within the last hour, and United flight 93 was minutes away from falling. There was a lot more to come too.

Marie had become very sick, how sick we wouldn't know until November, and I had to get back to our seminary apartment to see how she was doing.

That night there was a meeting with the Austin Police Department, we were a low-level target. Then again, anyplace in the capital city of the President's home state was a low-level target. Training schools for Christian Clergy north of the University of Texas rated just below government buildings.

Eleven years later Osama Bin Laden is dead, the Iraqi Husseins are dead, much of the Old Guard Al-Queda leadership is dead. Thousands of American servicemen are dead and injured too. I can't tell you how it changed me. So much has changed since that fateful day I don't know what was because of 9/11 and what was because of my vocation in a post-9/11 world.

This I can say... God bless us everyone.

For those who died that day, Lord hear our prayers. For those who were hurt and injured, Lord hear our prayers. For the families of those who lost someone they loved, Lord hear our prayers. For the FDNY and the NYPD, Lord hear our prayers. For those who keep us safe in the military, Lord hear our prayers. For those in harm's way, Lord hear our prayers.