September having arrived and the children having returned to school, all meant one thing; summer is officially over and soon the nights would be drawing in; although with the temperature today climbing uncomfortably into the 80 s making it the hottest September day in decades one could have been forgiven for thinking that it was mid-summer. September signals the onset of autumn and autumn ushers in the corporate training season and that means airport departure lounges for yours truly. 

However, yesterday as I made my way to the airport was no ordinary day; it was of course 9th September, the 5th anniversary of the day they say changed the world. For a moment, it felt a little surreal to be taking the short flight to Eindhoven in Holland.

I couldn t help thinking to myself as I paused from editing the manuscript of the forthcoming book Safe & Sound on the Stansted Express that whilst 9/11 is steeped in understandable hyperbole, the truth is that whilst 9/11 was a defining moment in the relentless surge of modernity it was not the day that changed the world.  That day unassailably belongs to the victory of the cross.  The defining moment in history, lest we should forget occurred some 2,000 years ago when Jesus Christ, the Son of God allowed the sins of the world to crash into to the twin towers of grace and truth and thus ended forever the reign of terror that is the law and legalism.

I think it entirely appropriate that the world keep the images of the twin towers fresh in their memories. It was an outrage against humanity and a horrific attack against multi-culturalism.  It is however poignant reminder that on the iconic ground zero site there is a cross; fashioned by the tangled mess of devastation of sheared metal.  

Earlier this year I had the tremendous privilege of visiting Manhattan; I stood for a long time just surveying the rugged metal cross; no we must not let the images of 9/11 be erased from our consciousness, but equally we must not let the image of the cross of Christ be removed from our psyche either.  Let s not lose sight of either and lets keep both in their proper perspective; because if ground zero was designed to make us all fear the cross of Christ was about driving out fear for all time. 

I was pleased to see that Stansted airport was bustling with passengers; perhaps it was the combination of the stoicism of the London spirit, the allure of cheap flights and the imperatives of pan-European business that ensured that the airport was business as usual on this most sombre of anniversaries.  I flew without hesitation for one reason and for one reason only my trust is in the Lord.  I am persuaded that nothing can happen to me [or you dear believer] lest God allows it and if He allows it, even if we cannot make sense of it even it is senseless to the natural mind, I believe He means it for good.  Whilst I have become a more vigilant traveller keeping my eyes open, I know in the words of Antoine De Saint-Exupěry [The Little Prince] that: It is with the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

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