Just Another Day

(This is one of those rare posts that has nothing to do with quizzing, but if you'll bear with me, I think you'll see the relevance.)

September 11, 2001 was just another day for me. I got up, went to teach at the school in the morning, and went home. I chatted with friends for a few minutes, ate dinner, and worked on my next day's lesson plan. Then I went to bed. Save an unusual e-mail from my mother and five minutes of TV at my friends' house, there was nothing remarkable about that day.

I was serving a short-term missions assignment in Kenya, teaching at East Africa School of Theology. Because of the time difference, everything that happened in the US in the morning was happening in the afternoon where we were. I got home after teaching my afternoon Pentateuch class, dialed into AOL to check my e-mail (those were the days), and read a strange message about airplanes and the World Trade Center from my mom.

The house I lived in didn't have a TV or radio, and my unreliable dial-up service didn't afford me ready access to the news of the world. I casually walked across the street to visit my missionary friends who had a TV. I asked them if they knew about something going on in New York. We watched Kenya's network coverage for about five minutes, and then I went back home, ate dinner, and started reviewing my lesson plans for the next day's Corinthians class.

For missionaries on foreign soil, life is quite different than in the US. Obviously, in the past ten years, the advent of Facebook, Twitter, and Skype have made the world smaller. Still, living overseas separates a person from the daily happenings in the US.

Missionaries are often risking their lives for the gospel. Even in the "safe" places, there are language and cultural barriers to overcome, separation from friends and family, and the work of the ministry they are called to fulfill. Often, they are out of touch or out of step with the news of the world.

My memories of September 11, 2001 don't revolve around the horror of watching the towers fall, the sadness of seeing lives lost, or the gratitude for the heroic efforts of firemen and police officers. I certainly respect all of those things. For me, this day offers an opportunity to remember the heroes that are serving God around the world, daily risking their lives for the gospel.