Fifteen Years On

New York, NY. Washington, DC. Shanksville, PA.

Three communities forever bound together one day in a tragic event.

It has been fifteen years since the terrorist attack, hideously ingenious in its own way, was perpetrated over the skies and then on the ground of United States. (Who says evil doesn't have an imagination.)

The human toll of 2,996 does not even begin to measure the cost. The images of the lost and damaged buildings pale in comparison to what was lost to both the living and the dead. The toll on spirit and psyche, both individually and collectively, may be somewhat diminished but has never disappeared.

You can hear the echoes of this day in the acts of terrorism that have followed, especially recently. This day seemingly emboldened those whose ideology is seemingly embedded in these terms:  Submit to me or die. To me, it is strikingly similar to what Satan says to us in very simple terms:  Submit to me and die.

Anniversaries are good things, no matter what they commemorate. They force and urge us to recall what and why something happened. And while this country will have its memorial services in various forms, rightfully remembering those who have died, we also need to ponder the event at an even deeper level, perhaps, briefly, staring evil in the face.

As I hopefully do every year, I encourage you to read other tributes. Honor those who have died this "new" Patriots Day. While the living can do more, this is always a good start.