Mr. Wayne Tlumak: Remembering 9/11

Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education

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Mr. Wayne Tlumak is a faithful elder serving as one of the core theology instructors at Living Education, and a native New Yorker. Before being employed by the Church, Mr. Tlumak worked as a manager and trainer for the New York City Housing Authority. It was during this time in his life that he experienced one of the most impactful experiences of his life—something that not only changed him, but the world as a whole.

On September 11th, 2001, terrorists from the extremist group al-Qaeda attacked the United States. They hijacked multiple airlines, and used them to attack multiple important locations—in particular, the World Trade Center in New York City, and the Pentagon in Washington DC. As an eyewitness of those attacks, Mr. Tlumak delivered a forum message describing his experience to the Living Education students as an important reminder of our nation’s history.

A Dark Morning

Mr. Tlumak’s day began early. A training facility that he managed had been broken into the night before, and he was in the process of inspecting it. Calling the police, he was quickly interrupted by the sound of sirens everywhere. At that very moment, a coworker informed him that a plane had just crashed into one of the twin towers—the main fixtures of the World Trade Center complex. Mr. Tlumak asked the officer on the line if that was true. The officer confirmed that it was, and that every officer in the city was headed to the scene. Hanging up, Mr. Tlumak rushed to the roof to see what was happening.

The moment he reached the roof, a second plane struck the South Tower. It was at that moment that Mr. Tlumak—and everyone watching—knew that the United States was under attack.

Mr. Tlumak recalled to the students the great collective excitement of when those mighty towers were being constructed—as a youth, he had watched them being built. “Now I was watching them burn,” he said.

A National Tragedy

The images that Mr. Tlumak witnessed are seared into the memories of many who witnessed that terrible attack. Over the course of 102 minutes, both buildings burned, their internal structures damaged, until finally collapsing to the ground. Almost 3,000 people died as a result, and an unprecedented level of damage occurred in the surrounding area. Smoke billows covered the city, and many people breathed in toxic asbestos. As Mr. Tlumak walked around, taking in the horrific scene, he was overcome by the scale of the tragic violence.

In addition to the towers, another plane was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Another plane was hijacked, but passengers onboard fought back, taking over the plane before it crash-landed in Pennsylvania. Its target can only be speculated. All in all, 9/11 claimed almost 3,000 lives, and affected countless more.

Providence

Mr. Tlumak will long remember that day, but he added that while the tragedy was terrible, God spared us from even greater destruction. Even in the midst of a horrific tragedy, God’s hand was evident. First, Mr. Tlumak explained that no one above the floors where the planes had hit could have survived. If the planes had struck any lower, even more lives would have been lost. Second, a wall on the western side of Manhattan prevented the Hudson River from pouring into the city. When the twin towers collapsed, a crack formed—but didn’t burst. God held back the waters from flooding both the streets and the subways below, sparing the city from countless more deaths. Even in the face of horrible suffering and tragedy, God’s hand was present.

Never Forget

We as a nation can never forget the horrible tragedy that occurred that day. It changed the world in many ways. From our security processes to our collective view of religion, 9/11 has had a powerful butterfly effect on almost everything in the modern world. It even prompted a brief national sense of unity and focus on God—but, as we see today, that may have been short-lived.

Our world is in a state of decline, and the lessons that God wants us to learn through 9/11 should not be lost with time. As with all tragedies, God allowed this terrible day to come for a reason. It is not for us to wonder, or be angry, but to accept His purpose and live our life right. We should remember the lives that were lost, and learn to be ambassadors of a better nation—the heavenly Kingdom to which God has called us.

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.