A Day to Remember and Pray

I am pausing today to remember and pray.    I remember the horrible events that occurred seven years ago today.   I remember the thousands of people who have lost their lives as a direct or indirect consequence of those events, and I remember and pray for their families.    I remember how the country was united immediately after September 11, 2001.    For a brief period, there were no liberals and no conservatives, and there were no Democrats and no Republicans.  We were all proud Americans sharing a common grief.     Regrettably, I also remember that the unity and sense of common purpose that existed for a short time after 9/11 soon disappeared.    The blame game started.  The Republicans blamed Clinton, who had been in office for the previous eight years until January 2001.   The Democrats blamed Bush, who had been in office for the previous eight months since January 2001.   Each side started exploiting the horrible events of 9/11 for political advantage, and they have been doing so ever since. 

In my prayers, I will thank God for my many blessings, including the fact that I am a citizen of the United States of America, that my family was not directly affected by 9/11, and that the United States has not suffered another major terrorist attack within our borders for the last seven years.   In my prayers, I will ask God to forgive and to help me forgive the terrorists who planned and executed the horrible events that occurred on 9/11.    I will petition God to give our national leaders the wisdom and courage to know how to deal with the problem of evil and to address the problem of global terrorism.   I will also ask God to provide guidance and comfort to the next President of the United States, whether Obama or McCain.   Finally, I will pray for peace.