Article Tools
- Text Size
- Add a comment (
- Print-Friendly
- Email this article
Five years ago this month, the world looked on with shock as the United States was subjected to the worst terror attack in its history. On September 11, 2001, radical Islamists hijacked four commercial airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City, into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and into a field in rural Pennsylvania. Nearly three thousand people were killed that day; thousands more were injured; and countless others were reduced to stunned silence.
As devastating as the actual attacks were, the aftermath was equally devastating, but in a different, more prolonged way. The United States entered into two wars. Further terrorist attacks took the lives of hundreds more people in Madrid, Bali, London, Cairo, and Sydney. Envelopes containing the anthrax bacteria were delivered by regular mail to government leaders, newspaper offices, and television stations.
A sense of fear, tension, and anxiety gripped the country, as well as much of the world, in the months following the attacks. People stopped flying. Church attendance spiked. The number of “suspicious activities” reported to local police increased dramatically. People stayed home, especially avoiding large gathering places like shopping malls and stadiums. Commentators spoke of a new mood in the country: an increased interest in spirituality and the desire to adopt a simpler lifestyle. It seemed as if…
The full article is available to subscribers only
Access all articles, daily meditations and readings, as well as special resources, by becoming a subscriber. View subscription options.
Special Offer: Two week free web-only trial subscription. Sign up now.
Existing Print & Web-Only Subscribers: Login for full access.
