Raised Up

We can always be diligent to look for Christ in crisis.  Certainly, there have been stories emerge from the ashes of September 11, 2001 that have pointed to the presence of God.  Stories of miraculous survival, of heroic feats. But, we also remember that over three thousand perished that day in a national tragedy that spoke to us about the nature of evil...

And, the goodness of God. Even in death, we can remember the permanence of the love of God. From President Bush in Washington to the late Carmen Falcione in Montgomery, the words of Romans chapter 8 were proclaimed following 9-11. The closing passage of that chapter says this:
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In tragedy, we need to have a fresh remembrance of the love of God.  No, He doesn't stop tragic things from occurring in this fallen world.  But, He does walk with those who look to Him. 

A ministry was raised up from the pain of 9-11.  A ministry of life born out of the deaths of so many. 

Perhaps you are familiar with the story of Christina Stanton; she and her husband were survivors of 9-11.  She wrote an article for Decision Magazine in 2021, around the 20th anniversary of that dreadful day.  Several weeks after the tragedy, she went to work for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse at an office established to provide, as she relates, "comfort and counseling" for people in New York.  

She wrote:

Shortly after the attacks, BGEA established the Billy Graham New York Prayer Center and coordinated volunteer efforts in various tasks across the city. The organization ultimately worked with about 3,000 volunteers from around the country, handled more than 1,500 calls, distributed more than 15,000 Bibles and more than 200,000 tracts, pamphlets and books in less than a year.

The work of the Association continued, and the Prayer Center offered a lifeline for so many affected by the events of September 11.  The article goes on to say:

BGEA maintained a presence in New York City long after 9/11, working with clergy and lay leadership, Police Officers for Christ, Firefighters for Christ and other parachurch organizations. In conjunction with other ministries, BGEA held seminars for pastors and church leaders across New York City to provide training and support for people who were experiencing post-traumatic stress and to help prevent suicide and marital breakdown.

The Association established a more permanent ministry that has ministered to people in the aftermath of tragedy - the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, which just recently was sent to Winder, Georgia, to minister to people affected by the school shooting there.  The Team goes where God leads - to areas of tragedy, including natural disasters, like tornadoes and hurricanes. 

The Decision article said that the Team "deploys crisis-trained chaplains to communities in the aftermath of natural and man-made tragedies across the United States and internationally. The Rapid Response Team has deployed to scores of disasters in the past two decades, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires and mass shootings, and it has a continuing ministry to serve and support law enforcement officers." Additional, the writer notes: "The ministry helps victims of trauma navigate their experiences, and it has developed a specialized training program for chaplains to help them address specific trauma-related needs."

The events of September 11, 2001 remind us that there is pain all around us, and each of us, as Christians, can be conduits of God's love to those who are hurting.  Perhaps it is a simple act of kindness, even taking time to listen as someone pours out his or her heart.  We should always be ready to share the love of God. 

And, when we are beset by internal pain, we can know that God walks with us in those times of pain. When we may feel there is nowhere, we can reach out to the loving arms of Jesus, who desires to embrace us and let us know how much He loves us. 

Crisis gives us a chance to see Christ - and to know Him better. When we are wounded, we can turn to the Healer who gave His life to redeem us and remind us that He is near to those who are brokenhearted.