As the hashtag suggests, those who lived through the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, will #neverforget. Premeditated attacks killed 2,977 people in New York, at the Pentagon, and on Flight 93. The U.S.—and the world—forever changed.
While many are comforted by how the nation rallied together and the lessons learned from the tragedy, there is still significant pain surrounding the events 22 years ago.
Franklin Graham Remembers His Father Billy Graham Offering Hope Following 9/11
Franklin Graham posted, “On the 22nd anniversary of 9/11 we remember the men, women, and children whose lives were cut short by a terrible act of evil. It was a day that changed our nation forever.”
As the son of evangelist Billy Graham, Franklin reflected on how his father participated in the continued healing of the country. “In the aftermath of 9/11, President George W. Bush asked my father @BillyGraham to share a message of hope at the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance Service in Washington, D.C.”
Billy addressed those gathered and the entire nation, understanding the wide range of emotions each person was feeling and noting that “words simply cannot express the horror, the shock and the revulsion we all feel over what took place in this nation.”
“Why does God allow evil like this to take place? Perhaps that is what you are asking. You may even be angry at God,” Billy said. “I want to assure you that God understands these feelings that you may have.”
On the 22nd anniversary of 9/11 we remember the men, women, and children whose lives were cut short by a terrible act of evil. It was a day that changed our nation forever. In the aftermath of 9/11, President George W. Bush asked my father @BillyGraham to share a message of hope… pic.twitter.com/VDovB9kDre
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) September 11, 2023
Lysa TerKeurst Calls for Prayer As She Remembers 9/11
Lysa TerKeurst has lived through significant trials in her own life and has no patience for surface answers or light encouragement. “And God help me if I think I’m going to make things better by thinking up a clever Christian saying to add to all the dialogue.” She continued, “God certainly doesn’t need people like me—with limited perspectives, limited understanding and limited depth—trying to make sense of things that don’t make sense.”
On the anniversary of such a global tragedy, the writer and speaker posted, “On one of the darkest days this nation has ever known, we remember that we lost and we pray for those who feel the ache of today so deeply because they never got to hug their loved one again.”
On one of the darkest days this nation has ever known, we remember those that we lost and we pray for those who feel the ache of today so deeply because they never got to hug their loved one again. pic.twitter.com/SHBdX3mmYL
— Lysa TerKeurst (@LysaTerKeurst) September 11, 2023
