24 years ago, the United States was shaken by what happened early in the morning of September 11, 2001.

Most people were shocked that something so horrible had happened, and the whole country went into mourning. But as stories of people (and animals) who did everything they could to save the lives of their fellow man started to emerge, the rest of the nation did something that seems to only come after tragedy. 

People turned back to God and started helping each other and their country. 

In October 2001, 79% of adults displayed the American flag, and 62% a year later said that 9/11 caused a sense of patriotism in them (1). In a shocking discovery, 60% of adults in October 2001 said they trusted the American government, regardless of the side of the aisle they voted for (1). This high number hadn’t been reached since the late 1960s, and has yet to be reached again (1). 

The events of 9/11 caused people to value family time more. 37% said they made more effort to spend time with their family during the holiday season, and 54% of parents said they were trying to spend more time with their children (2).

Even more surprising was the return to faith by many Americans. Right after the events of 9/11, churches were filled and people were far more likely to turn to prayer. In November 2001, 78% of Americans said that faith’s influence was increasing in their daily life…a number that hadn’t been reached since 1957 (1, 2). 

Whenever there is a tough time in our lives, we do seem to turn to God – whether if it’s to ask Him why He let such a thing happen or because we realize that we need him in our life. Often, when things are going well, we forget God exists. We don’t need Him to rescue us. But when things are bad, we instantly run to Him for help. We should always turn to God – whether things are going great in our lives, or we feel it can’t get any worse. 

Today, remember what happened 24 years ago, and how some people seemingly abandoned saving themselves to save others. Notice how tragedy makes us turn to God – and we should evaluate if we are keeping God as a safety net, or if we look to Him constantly.

If you are not 100% sure that you’ll go to Heaven when you die, now is the time to repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you have any questions or doubts about your salvation, click here to learn how you can be saved!

Let me know if you have any comments or suggestions below or you can contact me here! I love hearing from you! 

Sources:

1. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/09/02/two-decades-later-the-enduring-legacy-of-9-11/
2. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2001/12/06/post-september-11-attitudes/