We Will Not Forget

“We will not forget” was the unifying mantra we used after the tragic events of September 11th, 2001. We vowed that we would not forget the heroism of the first responders and the selfless people who sacrificed themselves for the chance to save others. We vowed that we would not forget what the ugly face of hatred and terrorism that produced the attacks looks like. We vowed that we would be sober and vigilant to spot the enemies of liberty and work together to destroy their works before they took root. We vowed to not forget the feeling of community, patriotism, rekindled gratitude, and trust in God that came from 9/11’s aftermath.

We did well, for a long time. But sadly, in the same careless way we have treated so many other solemn vows in our lives, we stopped actively making an effort to keep our promises. We stopped teaching our children the history. We stopped flying the flag. We stopped wearing the pins. We stopped our prayers of gratitude, intercession, and supplication. We lost our outward focus and turned back to ourselves.

Now we see the same demons re-emerge in news tickers, and we are more upset that the 30 seconds to read an article about a beheaded American took away our “precious time” or a little enjoyment from our game of Candy Crush or our Netflix “programming.” We need to awaken again. It starts with asking for forgiveness of our Creator and renewing the vows we made after September 11th.

Like a marriage, our patriotism and spirituality need constant work and active attention to thrive. Renew your vows with me today. Share this to make that pledge with me. But don’t just share the status. Share the sentiment. For the rest of your time on this Earth.