A Note from Hixon Frank | September 11, 2026
Thank You for Answering the Call
Hey church!
There are certain days you never really forget. Today is one of them.
In fact, in writing this article so many memories came back of that shocking morning of September 11, 2001.
For those of us old enough to remember that morning, we probably know exactly where we were when we first heard that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. Then seeing the second plane hit. Then reports about the Pentagon and a 4th plane. We remember watching the television, trying to make sense of something that just didn't make sense. We remember the images, the confusion, the fear, and eventually the overwhelming realization of how many lives had been lost. Nearly 3,000 people died that day. Today, 25 years later, it is appropriate for us to stop, remember, and pray for the families who still carry that loss.
But there is another image from September 11 that has stayed with me all these years. While thousands of people were desperately trying to get out of those buildings and away from the danger, firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other first responders were running toward it.
Think about that for a minute.
Everything inside the human body says, Get away from the danger. Yet there are men and women who have chosen professions in which, when everybody else is trying to get away from the problem, their job is to head straight toward it.
Jesus said in John 15:13, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.”
September 11 gave us an unforgettable picture of that kind of courage and sacrifice. But here's what I don't want us to miss today:
That kind of courage didn't end on September 11, 2001.
It happens every single day in our own community.
There Is a Person Behind That Uniform
My first real encounter with a first responder was with a police officer. Now before you jump to conclusions it was not in a law enforcement situation, (sorry to disappoint you) but was in a moment of compassion. The officer simply sat with me on our front porch as he handed out candy to trick-or-treaters. What made it compassionate is that he was there to keep trick-or-treaters from ringing the doorbell because earlier that morning my father had passed away. We were grieving and this officer donated his time to help in a very practical and compassionate way.
Most of us encounter first responders because something has gone wrong. There's been an accident. Someone is sick. A fire has started. A crime has occurred. A family is in crisis. Someone has called 911 because they don't know what else to do. And then somebody shows up.That's what first responders do. They show up.
Isaiah 41:10 says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you.”
I think that's a pretty good prayer for the men and women who regularly walk into situations the rest of us would rather avoid. We see the uniform. God sees the person wearing it.
He sees what they saw on the call that afternoon. He knows what they're carrying that they haven't talked about. He knows the accident scene they can't quite get out of their mind. He knows the decision that had to be made in a matter of seconds. He knows the accumulated weight of seeing people on some of the worst days of their lives.
And then their shift ends.
They go home, change clothes, sit down at the dinner table, help with homework, go to a ballgame, mow the yard, and somehow try to transition back into normal life. That's why our prayers for first responders need to go beyond simply, “Lord, keep them safe.”
Absolutely, we should pray for their physical safety. But let's also pray for their minds, hearts, marriages, friendships, and spiritual lives.
Psalm 46:1 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.”
First responders spend their lives helping other people in times of trouble. Let's pray that they know where to turn when the person who needs help is them.
There Is a Family Behind That First Responder
When a firefighter leaves for a shift, somebody knows the alarm may sound. When a police officer walks out the door, somebody watches them leave, knowing they may face something dangerous that day. When a paramedic or EMT is working, somebody knows dinner may get cold because the shift doesn't always end when the clock says it should. There are missed holidays. Interrupted meals. Changed plans. Long nights. Fatigue. And sometimes there's a spouse who can tell something happened at work but also knows, They're not ready to talk about it yet.
First-responder families carry part of the calling too. Philippians 4:6–7 tells us to bring everything to God in prayer and promises that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Let's pray that over these families. Pray for their marriages. Pray for their children. Pray for peace when their loved one is on duty. Pray that our church and communities will surround these families with people who know them, encourage them, and care for them.
And every once in a while, maybe instead of only thanking the person wearing the uniform, we should look at the spouse standing beside them and say, “Thank you, too.” Because they serve in a different way, but they serve, nonetheless.
Run Toward the Battle
There is something else the example of a first responder challenges me to think about as a follower of Jesus. First responders run toward people who are in danger.
Church, shouldn't there be something of that same instinct in us spiritually? We live surrounded by people who are hurting, searching, broken, and far from God. People are trapped in addiction. Marriages are falling apart. Families are struggling. People are lonely. Some are carrying shame they believe they can never escape. Others look like they have everything together while quietly wondering whether life has any real meaning at all. And we know the One who rescues.
Colossians 1:13 says that God “has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.”
I love this quote: “We were rescued people before we ever became rescuers.” So maybe Christians shouldn't spend our lives trying to stay safely removed from the brokenness around us. Maybe we're supposed to run toward it. Not foolishly. Not arrogantly. And certainly not believing that we're anyone's Savior—Jesus is the Savior. But we can carry HIS message.
We can enter hard places with His hope. We can walk toward the lonely person everyone else overlooks. We can engage the neighbor whose life is messy. We can have the Gospel conversation that feels uncomfortable. We can step into someone's pain rather than keeping a safe distance from it.
There is a spiritual battle happening around us, and followers of Jesus were never called to spend our lives sitting comfortably on the sidelines. Sometimes following Jesus means running toward the battle.
Consider Others More Important
Maybe this is where the example of first responders hits closest to home. Philippians 2:3–4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.”
That's a pretty good description of selfless living.
And if we're honest, that's completely opposite of the message our culture constantly sends us. Look after yourself. Protect your time. Protect your comfort. Get what you deserve. Make sure your needs are met.
Jesus gives us another way.
Look around. See people. Serve somebody. At its heart, being a first responder is about service. It's showing up when someone calls. It's walking into someone else's worst moment and essentially saying, “I'm here. What can I do?”
What would happen if every believer that calls Green Acres home increasingly lived that way? What if we entered our workplaces asking, “Who can I serve today?” What if we walked into church asking, “Who needs encouragement?” instead of “What am I getting out of this?” What if we looked around our neighborhoods and asked, “Who needs Jesus, and how can I move toward them?”
That's a different way to live. It's also a lot more like Jesus.
Mark 10:45 tells us, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus didn't simply tell us to live selflessly. He showed us how.
On This Day Church, Let's Pray, and Let's Go
September 11 showed us something we should never forget: When others run from danger, there are men and women willing to run toward it.
Let's allow their example to challenge us too. There are people all around us who need someone willing to move toward them. There is darkness that desperately needs the light of Christ. There are hurting people who need hope. There are lost people who need the Gospel.
So maybe our prayer today shouldn't simply be, “Lord, protect those who run toward danger.”
Maybe it should also be: “Lord, make me willing to run toward people who need You.”
Let’s pray this…
Lord, give me eyes to see them. Give me courage to move toward them. Give me humility to consider them more important than myself. Give me a heart willing to serve rather than be served. And give me the courage to carry the hope of Jesus into the spiritual battles happening all around me.”
Today we honor those who answer the call to serve and protect us. And then, church, let's answer our call too.