9/11 Letter
Briarwood Family:
As you may know, today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attack on the United States of America. Today, at 8:46 am, terrorists crashed a commercial airplane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center (the tallest dual buildings in New York City). The iconic twin towers of downtown Manhattan’s World Trade Center were a triumph of human imagination and will. Completed in 1973, the towers stood at 110 stories each, accommodating 50,000 workers and 200,000 daily visitors in 10 million square feet of space. They were the hub of the bustling Financial District, a top tourist attraction and a symbol of New York City’s–and America’s–steadfast devotion to progress and the future. At 9:02 am, a second plane crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center. Shortly thereafter, at 9:37 am, a third commercial airplane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C., which represented the military might and intelligence of our country. Lastly, at 10:03am, a fourth commercial airline flight headed for the White House in Washington D.C., crashed in a Pennsylvania field after a group of heroes, led by a gentleman named Todd Beamer, overtook the terrorists on the airplane.
2,998 men and women lost their lives in this tragic event. 367 First Responders lost their lives as they attempted to save their brothers and sisters trapped in the towers. Over 6,000 people were injured. And… At that moment…the world, the country, and our way of life changed forever.
Our BCS students were not born when this event took place. However, for those of us who lived through September 11, in some ways, that day feels like it happened a long time ago; in other ways, it seems like it happened yesterday. Regardless of how many years go by, time does little to erase our memories of that day, especially for those who lost loved ones. The memories they have of that person or people will live on forever; their grief is our grief. 25 years later, we remember the countless, selfless acts of bravery and courage undertaken that day by so many men and women - and most especially, but not limited to, uniformed personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice, putting the needs of others before their own and losing their lives in love for their brother. Furthermore, we think daily of the men and women serving in our Armed Forces who have sacrificed their own lives on behalf of our own. But, 25 years later, we remain convinced of our resiliency and determination to move forward from this terrible tragedy. We are convinced of this because we worship a God who believes that love triumphs over hate - the love that is displayed in John 3:16: that “God so loved the world that he sacrificed his one and only son for us,” and the love mentioned in Proverbs 10:12 which says that “we have a love that covers up all wrongs.”
Today, we recognize the courageous faith of those who lost their lives on that day. We hold those who lost loved ones deep in our heart, and we thank our military, fire, and police officers who stand in the gap every day to protect us from evil and keep us safe.
In recognition of the victims, the heroes, and of the families who lost loved ones, the American flags on our campus will stand at half-staff today, Friday, September 11, and I am humbly asking that you convene your family together tonight to pray for all those who lost loved ones and were affected deeply during this tragic day.
All of this - in an effort for us to “NEVER FORGET” and to learn from our history. God bless you today and
GO Lions!
Dr. John Patterson
Briarwood Christian School, Chief Advancement Officer