Josh Benner

Tag: Memorial

  • Feels like it was yesterday – 9/11 through the years

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    It’s become somewhat of an annual tradition. I always watch a documentary about September 11 on the anniversary of that day. In American history, it’s still the most significant event to have happened in my lifetime. By far. It’s our “you remember where you were when you heard” moment.

    It’s interesting to watch the documentaries, to see the video at the time. I remember the day like it was yesterday but every year, the quality of the videos seems a little more dated, the outfits people are wearing seem a little more 90s.

    I remember it like it was yesterday, and so it’s crazy for me to consider that kids in school (aside from seniors) weren’t even born when this event happened. This monumental day that was a paradigm shift in American history is just that to kids, history. They learn about that day from what people tell them and from the same documentaries I watch.

    If you weren’t alive that day, and watch documentaries about 9/11, I think it’s hard to appreciate the chaos of September 11th. There’s a sense of fatalism in the documentaries. They almost always begin by contrasting the beauty of that morning against the pandemonium that was soon to burst forth. (more…)

  • Thousands sign petition for national holiday in honor of Billy Graham

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    There’s an online petition that’s gathered thousands of signatures in favor of doing just that. The petition currently has over 71,000 signatures and the numbers are surging.

    Billy Graham’s ministry and life revolved around pointing people to Jesus.

    It was a man telling the world about someone greater than he.

    So the idea of having a holiday named after Graham doesn’t honor his legacy. It goes against what he stood for. It’s too aggrandizing.

    From reading comments on change.org, many people talk about Graham’s impact (indisputable) and have this sense of Graham “deserving” this honor.

    If you want to honor Billy Graham and what he stood for, tell someone about Jesus.

    The petition says:

    Lets get a National Holiday for Billy Graham!! Mr. Graham preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history—nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories—through various meetings, including Mission World and Global Mission. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts. Mr. Graham’s counsel was sought by presidents, and his appeal in both the secular and religious arenas is evidenced by the wide range of groups that have honored him, including numerous honorary doctorates from many institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Help us with our cause of setting a national holiday to remember this great man.

    Undoubtedly, many non-Christians oppose this arguing “separation of church and state.” And to their point, I think it’s highly unlikely that this holiday would come to fruition.

    But even for Christians, we should not be concerned with lionizing mere men.

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • Great American evangelist Billy Graham dies at 99

    In an era when so many churches are rocked by sin and scandal, Billy Graham was respected by both Christians and non-christians for his integrity.

    In an era where sexual harassment is rampant in seemingly every sphere of life, Billy Graham vowed to never spend time alone with a woman who was not his wife, mother, or daughter.

    In an era where many of our most famous pastors live in mansions, Billy Graham vowed to not live lavishly. (more…)

  • Elie Wiesel: 1928-2016

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    Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons @David Shankbone

    “It was pitch dark. I could hear only the violin, and it was as though Juliek’s soul were the bow. He was playing his life. The whole of his life was gliding on the strings–his last hopes, his charred past, his extinguished future. He played as he would never play again…When I awoke, in the daylight, I could see Juliek, opposite me, slumped over, dead. Near him lay his violin, smashed, trampled, a strange overwhelming little corpse.”

    -Elie Wiesel, “Night”

    Holocaust survivor, writer, and peace activity, Elie Wiesel passed away today at the age of 87. (more…)

  • The eve of infamy and where I was on 9/11

    Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons
    Flickr Creative Commons

    Originally posted September 11, 2012

    As I write these words, the stresses of everyday life come to mind. I think of how busy I am between school, work, and other commitments. I’m so often short-sighted and allow myself to get frustrated. It’s getting late and I jot some thoughts down before going to sleep. On this night, my thoughts are on the past and with people I’ve never met. Thirteen years ago tonight, thousands of Americans went to bed, unaware that it was the eve of their last day on earth.

    For me, that’s surreal. Monday was an ordinary start to the work week. In the evening, people played with their kids, and watched Monday Night Football, and kissed their spouses goodnight. They prepared to go on flights for work, or vacation, or just to make it home. They thought about what bill needed to be paid and the home repair which needed to be completed. They went to sleep like it was any other night and woke up to a beautiful Tuesday morning. (more…)