Documentary Shows How WTC Cross Brought Hope After 9/11 Tragedy
The film “The Cross and The Towers” tells the story of the crosses that were found at Ground Zero two days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which have inspired hope in both Christians and nonbelievers alike. Despite an atheist organization's attempts at having one of the crosses banned from the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, the film's executive producer, Scott Perkins, hopes that the lawsuit will open up the door for more people to learn about the cross through his film.
"It was the story of hope in the midst of devastation, and we had heard about the story through one of the first responders," he said in an interview with The Christian Post on Thursday. "It's the story about the cross, and how the cross ministered to many workers and many of the heroes that were involved in the days following 9/11 and the months following 9/11.”
The crosses were discovered on Sept. 13, 2001, in the remains of Six World Trade Center by rescuers who were searching for survivors. The rescuers came upon a cavern beneath the rubble, inside which they found four crosses standing upright.
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Later the cavern would become known as “God's House,” as both Christian and non-Christian workers would go there to be ministered to during the search.
One of the crosses, which stands 17-feet tall and is made up of steel beams, spent the last five years outside a nearby Catholic church, but in late July it was moved to the memorial museum.
Though the cross played a role in bringing hope to rescuers in the days and months following the attacks, the New Jersey-based American Atheists organization has filed a lawsuit arguing that the cross should not be permitted in the museum.
The New York Times reports that David Silverman, president of American Atheists, wants the cross either removed from the museum or for there to be “equal representation.”
“They can allow every religious position to put in a symbol of equal size and stature, or they can take it all out, but they don’t get to pick and choose,” Silverman said.
But Perkins says that the cross served as a symbol of hope even to non-Christians, and points out that it wasn't crafted by human hands.
"These crosses were not made from man,” he remarked. “They're remnants of the World Trade Center. They were there when the buildings collapsed.”
Despite the strong opposition, Perkins says that the lawsuit could bring some much-needed attention to both his film and the story of the cross.
“I think the atheist lawsuit really gives us a platform for a wider audience to really hear the story about the cross and the towers,” he said.
“The Cross and The Towers” has received a number of awards, including the Audience Choice Award at Palm Beach International Festival, Best Film at Gloria Film Festival, Crystal Heart at Heartland Film Festival and finalist in the USA FilmFestival. The trailer and the entire 54-minute documentary can be viewed online at 411films.com.
