After reading Matthew 18:6-9, I was trying to think of a modern day analogy to what Jesus talked about in this passage.  It was all about getting rid of things in our lives that cause us to stumble.  Meditating on this passage made me realize just how serious these things are.  Jesus suggests some really radical actions to to get rid of them.  

A good picture of this is found in the world of aircraft.  Keeping runways clear of FOD (Foreign Object Debris) is a very serious activity.  FOD carries a great potential to damage aircraft when taking off or landing.  Damage from FOD is estimated at $4 billion a year!  Air France Flight 4590 crashed in July of 2000 when a tire blew out during takeoff due to FOD, which in turn ruptured a fuel tank and killed 113 people on board.  Military runways are scoured regularly to clear them of FOD.

Lord, empower me to get radical about eliminating FOD from my landscape.  Thank you for reminding me of the devastating results of these things in my life.

This is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the crash of flight 93.  That day and the events and weeks following were one of America's finest hours.  It was a time when the bravest of the brave ran into the gaping maw of destruction and wrested the living from its grip.  So many literally laid down their lives to save others.

As all of America watched the towers burning, unknown heroes decided to take action on flight 93.  Every passenger on that flight sacrificed their life to thwart a planned attack on the White House or the nation's capitol.  In the days following, the skies over the entire country were silent as if in honor of all those who died in the three airliners and the other thousands who perished in the towers and the Pentagon.  I remember people praying in public forums and calling for others to pray.  The atheists were strangely silent about these supplications to God.  Perhaps some of them decided to join in for once.

I always say that we should never forget.  I'm happy to say that I've forgotten the names of the actual terrorists on the planes.  I don't want to know their names.  I wish I could forget Osama Bin-Laden's name.  What I want to remember are the names of the heroes who gave their lives, gave of their time, money, and effort, to dig through the rubble to find just one more soul about to perish.  I want to remember how unified we were as Americans.  I want to remember that the greatest evils can be quenched by good and honest people.  That's what America is all about.  That's what I want to remember.