My Dad and his wife are in town from Indiana, and I promised to show him my place of employment in the heart of the financial district. My early rise from bed was triggered by the voice of someone leaving a message on our answering machine. Slightly irritated yet feeling refreshed from a hot shower and a clean shave, my journey from the bathroom to the kitchen revealed that I was the first one up this morning. No worries, for I had work to do. The ideas of what to do in the city that had been forming in my mind over the past week needed some final logistical planning. We would simulate my daily commute by taking BART from Concord to Montgomery Street station, walk five minutes to my building, ride the elevator to the 16th floor and greet my boss and fellow workers. We then would walk to my favorite eating place in Chinatown, Hunan Homes, followed by a ride on the cable cars to Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square. A fun ride to Pac Bell Park on the trolley would be followed by a tour of the ballpark. The 40 minute ride on BART back to Concord would complete our day. As I took my seat in front of the computer I hit the ‘play’ button on the answering machine to listen to the message that had awoken me 20 minutes earlier:
Matt, this is Greg. Due to the events that have happened this morning I highly advise you to not travel to the city today. We have evacuated the building and are awaiting instructions on what to do next. I have sent everyone home, and instructed the team to plan on working from their homes the next few days. I hope you and your family keep safe. I’ll try to reach you again soon.
As I reflect on the events that my family and I saw unfold on the TV screen that day, the sheer evil and horror of the situation is as incomprehensible to me today as it was five years ago. The devastating damage done to the lives of thousands upon thousands of people is irreparable, and the overwhelming loss felt by so many can never be replaced. My prayer goes out to the families and communities that have been impacted by this event. I pray that sensitive souls will uphold the memory of their loved ones. I pray that those who listen to their cries of grief will respond with compassion and not judgment. I pray that our government will have success in fighting the continued war against this evil. I pray that Christians will engage the spiritual dimension of this war on evil with prayer and diligence.
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