The Relevancy of our Godly Heritage on 9/11

I have one child (7th grade) in traditional school (private Christian school, actually) and one child (10th grade) in homeschool. There are definite advantages to both, but today I was especially glad to be preparing the lesson plan for my 10th grader, as there was so much I wanted him to hear and learn on this date of 9/11. We started our morning at 7a Mountain Time watching MSNBC, with news footage of that devastating same date, 9/11, six years ago. It is amazing how the feelings and tears came rushing back to me so quickly. I had to tear myself away and leave for work while my husband and son continued their “history” lesson, but I had already prepared a Bible lesson as well, centered around the book, “Sept. 11, 2001 – A Time for Heroes; A Tribute to American Faith, Guts and Patriotism”. The book starts simply yet powerfully with the words of Jesus, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The second page continues with the words of President George W. Bush, “These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat, but they have failed. Our country is strong. Terrorist acts can shake the foundation of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.”

And, what exactly is the foundation of America? It can be found in our Declaration of Independence, which speaks of God’s laws and of our Creator. It can be found on our coins’ motto, “In God We Trust”. It can be found in the last stanza of our national anthem, which reads, in part, “…Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n-rescued land praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: ‘In God is our Trust’…”

So, it is as it should be…history and the Bible intertwined and united. The First Amendment says nothing about the "separation of church and state." It simply states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...." And, in my household, we study both together, just as God spoke of His reign and of the history of the earth together in Psalm 46:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

How appropriate and relevant is God’s Word!