On the Eve of Tragedy: Reflections on September 11, 2001, and the Eternal City

On the night of September 10, 2001, millions of Americans went to bed quietly, with no thought that the next morning their world would change forever. That night, hundreds packed their belongings in luggage bags they would not live to open. Thousands slept with loved ones and kissed them goodbye for the last time. One never knows what a new day has in store. Therefore, let us live each day to the fullest and never miss a chance to let those dearest to us know of our love for them. “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Proverbs 27:1). So tonight, if you have someone in your life that you love, tell them.

I, Darryl Fuhrman, remember that evening vividly. At the time, I was working as a sales representative for Bio-Rad Laboratories, covering Alabama and Louisiana. Life felt routine, predictable even. But as Scripture reminds us, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). I had no idea how quickly that sense of normalcy would be shattered.

The Morning That Changed the World

The morning of September 11 dawned clear and crisp in Alabama. I went out for an early walk under a canopy of stars, listening to Art Bell’s Coast to Coast AM. For reasons I still cannot explain, I cut my walk short and moved to the treadmill inside. Soon after, my friend Angela Barksdale called urgently: a plane had struck the World Trade Center. Minutes later, as I turned on the TV, I saw the second plane crash into the South Tower. In that moment, the illusion of safety was gone.

The towers, monuments of human achievement, fell in less than two hours. Nearly 3,000 souls perished. “The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever” (1 Peter 1:24–25). The tragedy reminded us that all earthly glories are fragile, but

God’s promises endure.

Seeking Shelter in Faith

That evening, I drove to Tuscaloosa to be with Angela. We attended a church service where three ministers spoke words of comfort. They reminded us that even when the world shakes, God remains unshaken. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way” (Psalm 46:1–2).

The collapse of the towers brought despair, but in churches across the nation, prayers rose like incense. In tragedy, the City of Man trembled, but glimpses of the City of God shone through—in sacrifice, in prayer, and in love.

Augustine’s Eternal Contrast

Years later, I came to understand 9/11 through the writings of Augustine of Hippo in The City of God. He contrasts the earthly city, built on pride and destined to fall, with the eternal city, founded on God’s love and destined to endure. “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

The Twin Towers symbolized the greatness of the earthly city, yet in a single morning they crumbled. But out of the rubble rose acts of courage, service, and faith—signs of the heavenly city that cannot be destroyed.

A Tornado and a Church Reduced to Rubble

A decade later, that lesson deepened. The Tuscaloosa church where Angela and I found comfort on September 11 was itself reduced to rubble by an EF4 tornado in 2011. The sanctuary was gone, but the Spirit endured. I served alongside my A-Club brothers to aid survivors and honor the dead. Again, I was reminded: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

Buildings fall. Institutions collapse. But God’s Kingdom stands firm.

A Survivor’s Testimony

Years later, through Lettermen USA, I met William “Will” Jimeno, a Port Authority Police Officer buried alive beneath the rubble of the Twin Towers for 13 hours. His survival, sustained by prayer and hope, was a living testimony of faith’s power. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair… struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9).

Standing with him beside a fragment of the World Trade Center, I felt the weight of history and the presence of eternity. The steel lay twisted and broken, but Jimeno stood tall in spirit—a citizen of the eternal city Augustine described.

Living with Eternal Purpose

September 11, the Tuscaloosa tornado, and countless other tragedies remind us of a single truth: do not place ultimate trust in earthly towers or sanctuaries. “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17).

As we stand on the eve of this anniversary, let us honor the memory of the fallen not only by recalling their stories but by anchoring our own lives in the eternal. Let us love fiercely, serve faithfully, and live with hope unshaken.

For we are not citizens of a fragile city, but of one unshakable and eternal: “For our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

Honoring heroes: Darryl Fuhrman, founder and president of Lettermen of the USA—a nonprofit uniting former college athletes to support veterans in need—stands with 9/11 survivor and Port Authority Police hero William “Will” Jimeno at the Auburn Student Veterans Association event on November 10, 2022. Together, they embody resilience, service, and unbreakable spirit.

On the eve of September 11, 2001, the Statue of Liberty stands resolute, her torch of freedom casting a poignant glow against the silhouette of the World Trade Center, unaware of the tragedy that would soon redefine a nation.

A haunting moment captured on September 11, 2001, as the World Trade Center towers burn and collapse in a devastating explosion, marking a day of profound loss and resilience etched into history.

A solemn aerial view of the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, where twin reflecting pools stand as enduring tributes to the lives lost, surrounded by the resilience of a city that rises anew.

The ruins of a storm-ravaged Holt, Alabama, where The University of Alabama club brothers and I joined forces to clear the debris and restore hope.

In the wake of Holt, Alabama’s devastating EF-4 tornado on April 27, 2011, the University of Alabama A-Club stands as an honor guard and pallbearers for the final victims, embodying unwavering solidarity and tribute amid the ruins.

United in purpose: Darryl Fuhrman, Coach Randy Ross—legendary head coach at Southside High School, key assistant during Gene Stallings’ era at the University of Alabama, Director of Football Operations at SMU, and later at the University of Arkansas Razorbacks until his retirement—and NFL Hall of Famer Antonio Langham join forces with the University of Alabama A-Club for a heartfelt cleanup in storm-ravaged Holt, Alabama, on September 10, 2025.