School has already started back in some areas of the country, but for many it will start the day or two after Labor Day. Then, shortly following, will be Friday, September 11th. It’s interesting how a date can carry so much meaning. Especially this one; 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the tragic events of what has come to be commonly referred to as 9/11.
Where were you that day? I was working two jobs. I was a ramp agent, organizing the load plans, calculating weight and balance, and launching FedEx aircraft at night from their international hub in Memphis, TN. I came home from my day job, and my wife told me that I wasn’t going into work that night, my grandparents were no longer flying in from Boston, and someone crashed a plane into the White House. Aside from my wife getting some details wrong, I was trying to wrap my mind around what could be causing all of these events at the same time.
That obviously became clear as we watched the horrific videos capturing two airliners crashing into the World Trade Center in Manhattan. As people across the country tried to grapple with the immensity of what was happening to us as a country, and to the innocent lives affected by this act of terror, there was another television broadcast. On August 31st, 2001, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood aired for the very last time. Yet, his producers asked him to return to the WQED studios to record a PSA (public service announcement).
Millions of people grew up watching Mr. Rogers, an ordained minister, to learn about the world and how to manage their feelings. Now, he was speaking to these children trying to make sense of the world and process their feelings as adults. Mr. Rogers shared boyhood memories of seeing tragedies on the news that scared him. And he passed along the advice his mother gave him, “Always look for the helpers… because if you look for the helpers, you’ll know that there is hope.”
On February 28th, 2026, the United States launched a military campaign against Iran meant to force change within the country and eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons. Regardless of the strong opinions one might have about geopolitics and global engagement with military actions, I found it interesting how other countries have inserted themselves and/or offered to assist in mediating peace talks. I personally have a small level of intrigue about the role of mediating countries in helping to de-escalate tensions and restore peace, along with a healthy dose of skepticism about motivations. The United States has had some dealings in trying to mediate the war waged on Ukraine by Russia. And Pakistan has played a key role in hosting, coordinating, and facilitating talks between the United States and Iran.
Christian Service Brigade has been working with some amazing Christ followers in Pakistan who have a strong and sincere desire to use CSB programming to Build a Godly Generation for Tomorrow, in Pakistan, praise Jesus! They do not see CSB as a passive Christian club for a drop-off fun night. They recognize the power in CSB’s biblical model of discipleship to shape the boys and girls into the next generation of world changers. During our last online meeting, they shared their concerns and struggles living for Jesus in a country where Christians are being persecuted. We prayed together, and I shared one word that shows God’s heart that runs through all of Scripture: “shalom.”
Shalom is not exactly encapsulated by a desperate mom, at her wits’ end with a car full of rowdy kids, who thinks, “Can I just get a moment of peace?” Although it is in there as well. Shalom is that peace, wholeness, and well-being that we all long for. It’s what humankind lost as Adam and Eve sinned and were expelled from the garden. It’s what we recklessly try to find in so many other things, until we find the true source of peace in Jesus.
My encouragement to these dear brothers, so far away from the all-too-familiar Christiany subculture we’re used to in America, was that as they help Pakistan’s next generation discover true peace, shalom will inevitably spill out of them into all the areas of life they take it. And, I’m thrilled to share that they are getting it! Some of their first CSB meetings were showing children how to work on small motorcycle engines (motorcycles are prevalent across Pakistan), and impressing on them how the body of Christ is made up of many parts too. Another was teaching boys how to work with electricity and repair light switches, while also encouraging them that the Holy Spirit provides power (dunamis) for living a Godly and victorious life. These are the true peacemakers of Pakistan!
As you remember the terrorist events of 9/11 25 years ago, while also being faced with wars, earthquakes, and disease, don’t forget to look for the helpers. They are all around, in every pocket around the world. God is working in and through peacemakers across the globe to expand His kingdom of shalom. And, in case you didn’t put it together before, that’s what Christian Service Brigade does. We are multiplying the power of God through the earth, one CSB Unit, one heart of a child, at a time!
Serving with you,
Michael O’Hara, CSB President