9/11: the day the world changed

September 11^th, 2001 is one of those dates indelibly stamped in the memory and psyche of all Americans who are old enough to remember that fateful day. 9/11 is often described as the day the world changed but how did it change us as individuals and our view of others and what are some of its most lasting and perhaps most disturbing legacies?

Father James Martin is a Jesuit priest and prize-winning author who is the Culture Editor for America Magazine. He published a book entitled “Searching for God in Ground Zero” that describes his experience of ministering to fireman and rescue workers at the site of the collapsed Twin Towers in New York City in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. He told Susy Hodges how he reacted with total disbelief when he first heard the news about the first tower collapsing on that September morning 10 years ago: "I could not believe it, I couldn't believe something so massive had just disintegrated... it was a nightmare."

Speaking about his experience at Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, Father James said it taught him "that in times of great tragedy there's always hope and new life.... in the midst of this hell, there was this incredible sense of grace, I'd never been in a place where everyone was other-directed... where the whole community pulled together." He describes his ministry there as "one of the most profound experiences of the Holy Spirit" that he's ever had and goes on to express his regret that the U.S. leadership "squandered this great sense of national unity that sprang up after 9/1l." "It's a shame," Father James says, "because the first response of Americans (to 9/11) was charity."

Listen to the full interview by Susy Hodges: