Never Forget: A Bronx Witness Remembers September 11th
Twenty-Four Years Later, the Lessons of That Morning Still Echo
Some moments burn themselves into your soul forever. September 11, 2001, was one of them.
Twenty-four years ago today, I stood in the Bronx watching the unthinkable unfold across the water. The clear blue sky that had promised such a beautiful Tuesday morning became the backdrop for America's darkest hour.
From where I watched, the Twin Towers seemed impossibly far yet devastatingly close. The first plane hit, and we thought—hoped—it was a terrible accident. Then came the second impact, and we knew. This was war.
What I Witnessed
The silence was what struck me first. In a borough that never sleeps, never stops talking, everyone just... stopped. Strangers gathered around car radios, in storefronts, anywhere a television flickered with the impossible images. We watched our fellow New Yorkers running through streets filled with ash and debris, looking like ghosts fleeing from hell itself.
Then came the collapse. First the South Tower, then the North. Even from the Bronx, you could see the massive clouds of dust and smoke billowing across Manhattan. In that moment, we all understood that America—our America—had changed forever.
The Heroes We Remember
"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13).
That morning revealed the very best of humanity amidst its very worst. First responders ran toward danger when everyone else ran away. Ordinary citizens became heroes, helping strangers down endless flights of stairs, sharing water, offering comfort to the terrified.
Father Mychal Judge, the Fire Department chaplain, died giving last rites to a fallen firefighter. Captain Patrick Brown led his men up the stairs of the North Tower and never came down. Lisa Beamer's husband, Todd, led passengers on Flight 93 with the words "Let's roll," saving countless lives at the cost of their own.
These weren't just names in a news report—they were Americans who chose sacrifice over safety, others over self.
The Financial Earthquake That Followed
The attacks didn't just target buildings and lives—they struck at the heart of American capitalism itself. The New York Stock Exchange remained closed for four trading days, not reopening until Monday, September 17. When markets finally opened, the Dow Jones plummeted 11%, with losses exceeding 7% as panic selling gripped investors worldwide.
Approximately 18,000 small businesses in Lower Manhattan were destroyed or displaced, creating ripple effects throughout the economy. The Federal Reserve had to pump massive liquidity into the banking system as fearful individuals withdrew money from banks and businesses moved assets from stocks and bonds to liquid checking accounts.
But here's what's remarkable about timing and providence: while 9/11 exposed the vulnerabilities of our centralized financial system, it would take another seven years—and another financial crisis—for an alternative to emerge. On October 31, 2008, exactly seven years and 50 days after 9/11, an unknown entity called Satoshi Nakamoto published the Bitcoin whitepaper, proposing "a peer-to-peer electronic cash system" that would operate independently of traditional banking.
Bitcoin was developed as a revolutionary response to the 2008 financial crisis, which revealed the inherent fragility and limitations of the traditional banking system. The Genesis Block was mined on January 3, 2009, containing a message about bank bailouts—a direct rebuke to the centralized financial system that had failed twice in seven years.
From the ashes of 9/11's financial chaos to the 2008 crisis, a new form of money was born—one that couldn't be shut down by terrorist attacks, manipulated by central banks, or controlled by governments. Perhaps that's part of God's plan for financial freedom emerging from financial destruction.
The Spiritual Battle Revealed
September 11th wasn't just a political attack; it was a spiritual one. Evil had declared war not just on America, but on the Judeo-Christian values that founded this nation. The terrorists didn't just want to kill Americans—they wanted to kill the American spirit of freedom, faith, and resilience.
But they miscalculated.
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you" (Isaiah 43:2). That promise sustained us then, and it sustains us still.
The Spiritual Battle Revealed
Today, as our nation faces new challenges and divisions, the memory of 9/11 reminds us of who we really are beneath the political noise. We're Americans. When evil strikes, we don't surrender—we rebuild. We don't retreat—we remember. We don't give up—we get stronger.
The terrorists wanted to make us afraid. Instead, they made us more American than ever.
In the days that followed, I watched this city—this nation—come together in ways I'd never seen. Flags flew from every window. Neighbors who'd never spoken became friends. Churches overflowed with people seeking comfort, answers, and hope.
That's the America worth fighting for. That's the America worth remembering.
Moving Forward in Faith
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3).
As we face the challenges of 2025—political violence, cultural division, economic uncertainty—let's remember the resilience we showed on 9/11 and the days that followed. Let's honor the 2,977 souls we lost by refusing to let their sacrifice be forgotten.
Let's be worthy of their memory.
Never forget. Never surrender. Never stop being American.
How did September 11th change your perspective on faith and patriotism? Share your memories and reflections.
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Thanks for reading,
Pedro