As America marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Christian leaders are sharing tributes, honoring sacrifices, and emphasizing the eternal hope found in Jesus Christ. It’s been a quarter-century since almost 3,000 people were killed as four hijacked airplanes slammed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Tributes are underway for victims of 9/11, including first responders, military service members, and rescue personnel. Among those sharing memories are faith leaders and political figures who described the day’s impact.
Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, said it’s “impossible to describe the tremendous amount of pain that I witnessed” at Ground Zero after 9/11. He recalled the message that his father, evangelist Billy Graham, shared during a remembrance service at the National Cathedral three days after the attacks.
“My father said, ‘We’ve always needed God from the very beginning of this nation. But today we need Him especially,’” Franklin Graham shared. “Just as America needed the help of God then, we still need His help today. My prayer for our nation is that we will continue to turn to the God of Heaven who has brought us to this day and sustained us every step of the way.”
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25 years ago at 8:46 a.m., the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The second plane struck the South Tower 17 minutes later at 9:03 a.m. Nearly 3,000 people were killed that day in New York City, at the Pentagon, and on the four planes that were… pic.twitter.com/sGfI56VWl7
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) September 11, 2026
9/11 Anniversary Spurs Reflections, Prayers
Former Vice President Mike Pence remembered the “innocent souls who perished at the hands of our terrorist enemies” on 9/11, as well as “those who gave their lives in the long struggle that followed.” Americans today “live in freedom and security” because of those “heroes,” Pence posted.
In an opinion piece at Fox News, Pence wrote about the “radical Islamic terrorism” that America had faced “long before 2001.” He also praised citizens who stepped up to prevent additional attacks on the homeland.
“Our founders proclaimed eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” wrote Pence. “May we never forget or fail to honor the sacrifices made by America’s defenders from that day to this. And may we never cease to be vigilant in the defense of the land we love. So help us, God.”
Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, detailed four important lessons from 9/11 that future generations must remember. First, he said, evil is real and “starts in the human heart.” Second, Mohler wrote, “Religious ideologies associated with Islam justify Holy War in the name of their religion,” posing “theological challenges” that “the dominant political class in the United States largely refused to see…clearly.”
The third lesson, according to Mohler, is that “Americans could still come together in a sense of national unity,” exhibiting “a proper and honest patriotism” that’s necessary for a nation’s survival. Finally, U.S. churches tend to fill up following a large national disaster.
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“Sadly enough, the process of secularization and the loss of substantial Christian commitment continued after 9/11,” Mohler added. “It is not clear that 9/11 left any lasting spiritual impact on the American people.” He prayed that it won’t take “another 9/11 to get this nation’s attention.”
As America marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Christian leaders are sharing tributes, honoring sacrifices, and emphasizing the eternal hope found in Jesus Christ.Click to Post