已經 25 年了，但我仍然清楚記得那個「美麗」的早晨。
當時，我在曼哈頓中城的一家金融公司工作。我和同事們一起，透過交易室裡的電視，親眼看著世貿中心雙子塔在烈火與煙塵中倒塌。那一刻，紐約的驕傲轟然倒下。雙子塔一直是紐約作為世界金融中心的象徵，也是這座城市引以為傲的地標。
當年我在紐約攻讀電腦科學研究所時，有一天早晨，我特地選在上班尖峰時間搭地鐵前往世貿中心。當地鐵車門一打開，人群立刻從車廂裡湧出來，大家穿著同樣的「制服」——那個年代，幾乎人人都穿著及膝的卡其色大衣，手上提著 007 型的公事包。
我被眼前的景象深深的震撼。那時我心裡想：有一天，我也要成為他們當中的一員。
後來，我真的成為了他們其中的一員，在紐約的金融公司工作。雖然我的辦公室並不在世貿中心，但我曾多次進出雙子塔，也認識許多在那裡工作的人。事實上，在 9/11 那一天，我們教會有一位會友就在雙子塔裡罹難。
9/11 不但改變了紐約，也改變了我的人生。
正是因為 9/11，神催促我與主任牧師一起成立一間新的教會。2001 年 10 月底，我們舉行了第一次主日崇拜。是的，當神工作時，事情可以發生得非常快。
接下來的 20 年裡，我先後以兼職及全職的方式，在教會擔任英文牧師。也正是這 20 年的服事，最終把我帶到今天的「吹號者事工」（Trumpeter Ministries）。
9/11 提醒我們：美國正在面臨一場戰爭——一場沒有明確「前線」，也沒有真正「後方」的戰爭。
9/11 之後，這座城市曾經歷過一段短暫的謙卑。然而，這種謙卑很快就被遺忘了。新的力量感與自由意識再次興起，但與此同時，一種新的思想、一種新的精神，也悄悄進入了這座城市。
紐約市至今仍不斷成為全美新聞的焦點，但很多時候並不是因為好消息。
紐約是我來到美國之後唯一稱為「家」的地方，因此，我對這座城市有非常深厚的感情。看著這個我曾經工作、生活並深愛的城市，一步一步走到今天的光景，實在令人痛心。
Klaus Bockmuehl 在他的著作 The Challenge of Marxism: A Christian Response（《馬克思主義的挑戰：基督徒的回應》）中曾警告：
「今天，馬克思主義樂見神學變得與現實無關，因為神學越是無關痛癢，馬克思主義就越顯得具有吸引力。當神學無法正面回應當前真實的議題時，馬克思主義便趁虛而入，提出它的無神論解決方案。這就是『不切實際』”unreal” 的神學所帶來的第一個後果……基督教與日常生活被割裂了。」
先知耶利米提醒那些被擄的人：
「我所使你們被擄到的那城，你們要為那城求平安，為那城禱告耶和華；因為那城得平安，你們也隨著得平安。」
——耶利米書 29:7
如果連那些被擄到異鄉的人，都被神吩咐要為自己所居住的城市禱告、關心那城的福祉，那麼我們呢？對於這座我們稱為「家」的城市、這片我們稱為「家」的土地，我們豈不更應當如此嗎？
當雙子塔燃燒時，人們為了逃離濃煙、烈火與灰燼，拚命地向外奔跑。
然而，就在同一個時刻，消防員和救援人員卻朝著完全相反的方向奔跑——他們衝向正在燃燒的大樓，為的是拯救那些仍然困在裡面、等待救援的人。
據統計，9/11 當天共有 421 名緊急救援人員殉職，其中包括 343 名紐約市消防局（FDNY）人員。
今天，2026 年 9 月 11 日，也是吹角節（Feast of Trumpets / Rosh Hashanah），猶太人迎接 5787 年的來臨。
願今天的教會再次興起，吹響號角，警醒世人面對當前的危機；也願基督徒不只是逃離那些「正在燃燒的大樓」，而是勇敢地奔向它們，去搶救那些正在其中等待救援的人——尤其是我們的下一代。
因為耶穌說：
「人為朋友捨命，人的愛心沒有比這個大的。」
——約翰福音 15:13
It has been 25 years. I still vividly remember that “beautiful” morning. At the time, I was working for a financial firm in mid-town Manhattan. Together with my coworkers, I watched on our trading room TV the twin towers fall to the ground in ashes. Suddenly the pride of New York fell. The twin towers had been a symbol of New York’s pride in its financial status.
One day, when I was still a graduate student in computer science in NYC, I had purposely taken the subway to the World Trade Center during the morning rush hour. As soon as the doors opened at the World Trade Center stop, people rushed out from train with the same “uniform”. (Back then everyone wore a knee-length tan-colored coat and carried a 007 suitcase). I was overwhelmed by the scene and, at that time, I hoped I would one day become one of them. I did later become one of them, working for a financial firm in NYC, although my office was not in the World Trade Center buildings. I did, however, go to the Twin Towers many times and knew many people who worked in those buildings. In fact, on 9/11 we lost one church member who had been in the Towers that morning.
9/11 not only changed NYC but also changed my life. It is because of 9/11 that God compelled me along with my senior pastor to start a new church. Our first Sunday worship took place at the end of October 2001; yes, when God works, it can be very quick. It was those 20 years during which I served part time and full time as the English ministry pastor at our church that led me to Trumpeter Ministries today.
9/11 reminded us that there is a war going on in America, a war with no “front line” and no “backmost formation”. The temporary humility the city experienced after 9/11 was quickly forgotten as a new sense of strength and freedom rose up, but since then a new thought, a new spirit, also moved in. New York City continues to dominate the headlines regarding America but often not for good news. New York has been my only home in America, so this place is very personal to me. It has been very sad to see the city where I worked and love fall to where it has come to today.
Klauws Bockmuehl warned in his book “The Challenge of Marxism, A Christian Response”:
“Today Marxism welcomes theological irrelevance because irrelevance because it makes Marxism look good. When theolog fails to confront the real current issues. Marxism moves in to offer its atheist solution. This is the first consequence of ”unreal” theology. … Christianity is divorced from everyday life.”
Jeremiah reminded those in exile to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7) If even those in exile were to pray and care for the welfare of the city they had been sent to live in, how about us, regarding the city, the place, we call our home? As the Twin Towers burned, people were running for their lives away from the smoke and ash, but, at the same time, firefighters and rescue workers were running towards the burning buildings to save those who needed help. It is reported that 421 emergency responders died on 9/11, including 343 FDNY members.
Today, Sept. 11, 2026, is also the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) as Jews welcome the year 5787. May the church rise up to blow the trumpet to warn people about the present dangers and may Christians run to the “burning buildings” to rescue people, especially our next generation, for “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
