Crisis, Community, and Lament: Living During Chaotic Times

The day I am writing this post is September 11. In 2001, I was still a rookie administrator living with 200 freshmen on a Christian college campus in Southern California. The horror of that morning rippled into shock, confusion, and perplexity as the day continued. The community gathered together with care, empathy, and resolve. As stories permeated through campus and living areas, students stood together in solidarity. The anecdotes were full of emotion, challenge, and poignancy: An uncle was having breakfast on the first floor of the North Tower. A neighbor was caught in the collapse of the South Tower. Air Force family members were unreachable due to radio silence as they had been scrambled to fly over the US to enforce its vast “no-fly” zone. West coast family members were dispatched as teams were sent to assist in rescue and recovery efforts. The community rallied and cared for each other