September 11, 2025: The Nation's Bond

24 years ago today, America changed forever.

I had just pulled into my Norfolk driveway after an early trip to Virginia Beach. When I walked inside, Jessica and I turned on the television to see news of a plane striking the World Trade Center.

McKenzie was our only child then, one year old, and we held her close while watching the horrors unfold in real time.

Only twenty people came out alive from the rubble. Among them was Genelle Guzman, who later became a friend of ours. She visited our church twice and shared her story as the last survivor recovered from the wreckage.

When she described the moment she felt a rescuer’s hand, it was a reminder of the thin line between despair and hope.

This played out on a national scale. In the days after 9/11, flags appeared on porches. Neighbors spoke to each other kindly. Churches overflowed. And almost overnight, the country unified.

It remains one of the most unforgettable chapters of my life.