Today, we remember a date our nation will never forget. Almost everyone old enough to watch and understand the news remembers where they were or what they were doing when they heard what happened that day. Others remember first-hand. But where God’s people are, no matter the circumstances, there are always stories of generosity. We don’t want you to miss them.
In these two podcasts, The Gospel Coalition retells the narrative of September 11, 2001 through first-hand accounts from Tim Keller, John Piper, and even NCF’s Mike O’Neill. In these stories of loss, trauma, redemption, and eternal hope, we see that God was, and is, and always will be at work. Even in the darkest moments, he works through the hands and feet of his people.
Episode 1: The day the sky turned black
This episode follows the story of Christina and Brian Stanton, who were blown from their terrace into their apartment and knocked unconscious by the impact of the second plane hitting the south World Trade Center tower. In the midst of the chaos that followed the collapse of the towers, people prayed and churches prepared. A ragtag crew of boat owners rescued half a million people from New York’s Battery Park – the largest water evacuation in history. And pastors, realizing they were called for such a time as this, asked a question something like this: “Okay. We have a flock. What do we do?”
Episode 2: The most helpful people
In this episode, we learn just how rapidly churches rallied, the verses that were brought to mind, the sermons that were preached, the meals that were served, the bills that were paid, and the overwhelming amount of resources that flowed, unsolicited, into a church that (in God’s providence) already had a plan for serving its community. Lives were changed, a counseling center was born, a confidence in Jesus was restored, and the reputation of the church elevated as thousands came seeking answers. There was brokenness beyond what anyone could have imagined, but rising from the ashes came beauty and hope.
