Todd Beamer–
9/11 Hero and Sunday School Teacher
 |
9/11 became an unforgettable number for everyone who saw the attacks of September 11, 2001. Adults and children watched side by side in disbelief and dismay as plane after plane crashed into site after site. A fourth plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field. Several passengers on Flight 93 had rushed the terrorists to keep them from reaching their intended target. Their sacrifice saved hundreds and maybe thousands of lives.
Among those brave men and women was a Sunday School teacher named Todd Beamer. After saying the Lord’s Prayer, Todd turned to the others and said, "Are you ready? Let’s roll."
Long before September 11, Todd Beamer was a devoted follower of Christ who was making a difference by sharing his faith and life with others.
Todd’s faith grew in Sunday School. According to his wife Lisa, Todd’s parents first took him to Sunday School when he was two or three weeks old. As he grew up, Todd was athletic and loved sports. Later, he often used sports analogies to teach a biblical point in Sunday School.
As an adult believer, Todd worked hard to balance demands on his time. Work kept him busy, but he didn’t want it to overshadow his family or his relationship with God. The balance was difficult, but he worked hard to maintain it. According to Lisa Beamer, their faith in God and the Bible served as a blue print for how the couple related to others and how they spent their time. The Bible determined their priorities and the decisions they made.
When the youth pastor asked Todd and Lisa to consider teaching Sunday School, "We knew Sunday School is an important ministry,...Things we learned as a child were easy to take seriously as an adult. It was easy for us to take on teaching Sunday School....Sunday School gives a chance to really delve deeper and understand how the whole story of God’s plan for the world ties together and how that really works into God’s plan for an individual life."
Todd enjoyed the students in his Sunday School class, and they knew it. According to Jim Leonard, "Todd was the most genuine Sunday School teacher I ever had. He was one of us, one of our friends. He would hang out with us outside of Sunday School and talk about things on our level....Todd taught me that Scripture is important and spending time every day with God is important. He taught me how to take on the character of God."
Natalia Lentini says, "[Todd] was a guide and role model to me. He was a hero in my life because he showed me what a Christian dad is like. My parents got a divorce. Todd sought after God’s own heart in everything he did; especially in caring for other people. I felt, when I saw him, that he cared about who I was and my life. I believe Sunday School teachers should teach because they love it, not because they feel they have to do it."
Rebekah Langone, another student, says, "Todd taught me how to be passionate about seeking God–opening my heart to Him. Todd told me God was interested in my heart, not just my mind."
Lisa Beamer believes, "Todd was prepared to make the decision he did [on September 11] because of the decisions he had made every day to that point."
One of his students says, "Todd was what he was because he was a Christian. If that makes him a hero, then that’s excellent. He was a man after God’s own heart. If that’s a hero, then he was definitely a hero. Todd was bold. He went for what he believed. That makes him a hero."
Lisa Beamer says, "Todd would want people to know that the Bible is relevant to their lives today....Life is really about getting to know God and then helping other people to do the same thing. That’s really what he strove to live for."
Since the events of September 11, Lisa Beamer has shown courage, grace, and compassion. Lisa says, "I find solace in reading God’s Word. When disaster strikes, that’s the first place I turn. It’s been my source of strength, direction, and wisdom, especially in the last few months. God knows the next step along the road. My whole future is about faith....Part of my life is saying, ‘I don’t know. I’m not in charge.’ Whatever comes next, I have full confidence [God’s] going to be faithful, and I’m going to do my best to be faithful to Him."
May God help us all "Learn to Live the Life" in Sunday School Today.
