On the morning of September IIth, 2001,  I was working at WKTU. My office window had the perfect view of the world trade center.  At night, when the lights were on at the Twin Towers, they looked so close.  Like I could reach out my window they’d be right there.   They were towering over the rest of the city and the Hudson River.  I grew up with that skyline. A Beautiful..magnificent…a symbol of the city.

When the first plane hit, we couldn’t believe it. It was thought to be an accident.  As we watched out the office window, we noticed a second plane coming close.. and thought it was an airline coming to get a closer look, or to try and help in some way. Then, that plane slammed into the second tower..just across the river out my window. It was an unimaginable front row seat at a real disaster movie playing out before my eyes. It was pure terror.  People in the office screamed out loud in disbelief.  I called my wife and  described what I had seen and that  I could see the flames coming out of the north tower..and clearly there was paper flying out and people were waving for help, then they started jumping.   A lone helicopter was helpless to rescue anyone from the roof.

People poured out of the subway stations in Jersey City filled with ashes and dust.

I stood on the street corner at Washington avenue with other random people all huddled together at hot dog cart, listening to the battery radio that the vendor had, frightened. In shock. If you have ever lived in or around New York City, you know how personal the attacks were. We lost 6 people that day in our small Northern NJ town that day…most towns lost far more.  One of our fellow citizens lived just a mile from my home, Jeremy Glick,  He was noted for taking on the terrorists on United Flight  93.

The unimaginable attacks are still extremely difficult for those of us who saw them happen.  It is still hard to imagine.  You can rebuild the buildings, but you cannot replace the innocent victims who lost their lives that day.

I ran home from work that day and hugged my kids in their schools and hugged my wife.  We cried, as together, as the smoke filled the skies for weeks. the city that we knew and loved would never be the same, but more importantly, we cried and prayed for the innocent lives lost.  I saw it, I witnessed it.

So, where do we turn for hope in all of this?  The disciples felt helpless when Jesus was crucified. They were hopeless. But  He rose again..and he promised a heaven that will never end …and that he prepares a place for all who believe in Him.  Jesus is the trump card over death.  That is the last word on today.  And that is a hope worth living for.