Never Forget... But Remember...

September 11, 2001. It's been twelve years since the tragedy of 9/11 occurred, but it remains etched in our
collective memories, a date that lives in infamy in the hearts and minds of my countrymen. A date that means much to us, but even more to the families of those whose lives were cut brutally short by the zealotry of fanatics.

"Never forget." The admonition is plastered on posters, on t-shirts, and online. Never forget what happened. Never forget what we lost. As a nation that has been in war or on the brink of one ever since those events, indeed "forgetting" is nearly impossible. But the call remains: never forget. Never forget the men and women who died simply for showing up to work that day, or just for being on the wrong plane. Never forget the religious fanaticism which fuels the sort of hatred that allows a man to murder thousands of people he's never met, even when it means dying in the process.

Never forget the horror of it, lest we be tempted to our own self-righteous wrath.

But in the midst of remembering national tragedy, in the seeming flood of awful event and awful event that seems to occupy the headlines, remember, too, that there is hope.

I will never forget this awful time,
    as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
(Lamentations 3:20-23)

That Man has made a mess of things is the understatement of eternity... but the God of all Creation loves us with an unending love. He shows us a mercy that never fails. The world around us broils in wrath and war and godlessness. But in Him, we find peace. 

The words of Christ, in Matthew 11:28-29

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.