September 11, 2001—perhaps one of the most tragic events to ever take place on American soil. It is common for people to say they remember exactly where they were when they heard the news of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Now, 20 years later, the stories are still being remembered and told by people worldwide. While much time is spent reflecting and discussing the attacks themselves, it would seem that one particular part of those tragic hours has been neglected. Amid of the chaos, there came a source of hope and safety for the people on Manhattan Island: boats.
After the attack on the first building, the city of New York quickly shut down all transit systems out of Manhattan. This meant no bridges, buses, or subways were available to get people out of the city. The water was one of the only ways to safety. However, a significant problem was quickly revealed. The city ferry boats could not hold the hundreds of thousands of people trying to escape. The U.S. Coast Guard also came to aid in the rescue efforts, but the number of people still attempting to flee was too great for just a small number of vessels. Considering all the options, the Coast Guard sent a radio call to all available boats willing to aid in the relief. Unaware of how many would hear or respond to this call for help, a tense period of waiting commenced.
But the waiting didn’t last long. Not even twenty minutes after this call was sent, roughly a hundred boats arrived at the southern end of Manhattan, all piloted by civilian boat owners and sailors. These civilians were not trained in any sort of rescue relief efforts. They were simply people who saw the opportunity to help others in need, despite putting their own lives at risk. For hours, the boats and their crews tirelessly carried the people of Manhattan to safety. This evacuation, called the 9/11 Boat-lift, has gone down as the largest sea evacuation in history, with some 500,000 people rescued over just 9 hours. (The previous event holding this title was the evacuation of Dunkirk during WWII, with 338,000 soldiers rescued over 9 days.)
I did not know about this story until I was in 8th Grade. In speaking to several others about it, many have not heard about this heroic and compassionate act. I share all of this not only to bring awareness to something I believe should be talked about more but also to make an important point. We are currently living in a world that is under severe spiritual attack. Satan rules this world with darkness and sin (Ephesians 2:2), causing people of all nations to be lost in their sins. These people are trapped, with no way to rescue themselves from the darkness they are living in. They need someone to help. They need us to help.
When looking at the book of Isaiah, we see a very similar situation unfolding. God’s people have found themselves lost in rebellion against Him and need help. God then chooses Isaiah to be His new prophet to the people. During this commission, Isaiah “heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8). God gave a call to help His people in their time of need, and Isaiah responded to it immediately, though his life would be more difficult than ever before in doing so. Isaiah’s attitude is genuinely admirable here—a willing desire to help where help was needed.
Though we are not living in the same time as the prophet Isaiah, we too have received a call to help. As stated previously, we are living in a world that is under spiritual attack. However, God has called us to be His workers in the Kingdom, telling us to “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Yes, this great commission given to Jesus’ apostles has now fallen upon us to do the work of the Kingdom. The question is—will we choose to answer the call? We have been given the tools we need to help bring people to the truth, to help rescue those that are trapped in the world of sin that surrounds them. Not all of us have special training to prepare ourselves for the work we have been called to do, but we can still have an impact. Each of us, regardless of who we are or where we come from, can bring someone to Christ, where salvation can be obtained to everyone who obeys His will. We have the call—let’s answer it the way Isaiah did: “Here am I. Send me!”
[There is a video about the 9/11 Boatlift that I would highly recommend watching. The link to the video is: https://youtu.be/MDOrzF7B2Kg]
Image taken from: https://insh.world/history/the-great-boat-lift-of-911/
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