Hope Fro Troubled Times And Troubled Souls

“Hope for Troubled Times and Troubled Souls”

Introduction

In these past weeks, many of us have witnessed images we would rather not remember.

• Burning buildings.

• Falling bodies.

• Panic filled streets.

• Flesh laced rubble.

• Commercial jets encased in skyscrapers.

• Monuments collapsing and entombing over 3,000 people each connected to a loving network of grieving people.

We have grieved.

We have cried.

We have raged at the evil of it all.

• Yet in these past weeks we have also witnessed some images that lighten the heaviness. Rescue workers tirelessly giving of themselves to serve their fellow man.

• Thousands of waving flags igniting a new surge of love for America

• Government leaders gathered as one unashamedly singing God Bless America

• While millions of people add their pleas to God for the same.

We have come to a new realization all across America that we really are vulnerable.

All of a sudden we find that many of the things we thought so important before the morning of September 11 have dimmed in light of the basic values of family, friends, love, selflessness, love of country, life.

Something inside us surges to the surface when as we witness graphic demonstrations of character and self-sacrifice and unity and humility and courage.

I don’t know about you but I have been impacted in so many different ways.

Yet in it all, a myriad of unanswered questions flood our thoughts.

How could this have been prevented?

How can people do such a think to others?

Is there any hope for something better in the future?

What is the future?

What about my children?

How can I possibly bring other children into such an evil world?

Why does God allow such evil in His world He supposedly loves so much?

Perhaps He isn’t strong enough to do anything about it?

Perhaps He isn’t really all that loving and good?

As a matter of fact where was He on September 11th?

I will share some thoughts this morning that I hope will at least point you in the right direction in regard to some of these questions.

I want to offer some thoughts first regarding the question concerning God’s whereabouts that fateful day.

• First of all, God was trying to discourage anyone from taking this flight. Those four flights together held over 1000 passengers and there were only 266 aboard.

• God was on four commercial flights giving terrified passengers the ability to stay calm. Not one of the family members who were called by a loved one on one of the highjacked planes said that passengers were screaming in the background.

• On one of the flights God was giving strength to passengers to try to overtake the highjackers.

• God was busy trying to create obstacles for employees at the World Trade

• Center. After all only around 20,000 were at the towers when the first jet hit. Since the buildings hold over 50,000 workers, this was a miracle in itself.

• How many of the people who were employed at the WTC told the media that they were late for work or they had traffic delays?

• God was holding up 2-110 story buildings so that 2/3 of the workers could get out. It was so amazing that the top of the towers didn’t topple when the jets impacted.

• God was in the rescue workers who were running into the buildings as most people were running out.

• God was in the flight attendant who called her husband as her plane was being hijacked to tell him that she loved him.

• God was in the two men who carried a wheelchair-bound woman down 70 flights of stairs to safety.

• God was in the man who stayed behind to be with his paralyzed friend.

• God was with the rescue workers who refused to leave the elderly lady slowing them down and eventually stopping at the very place that provided protection from the collapsing building.

• God was in the people who stood bleeding, in line to give blood.

• God was in the strangers in cars, picking up strangers stranded in the city and taking them home to their families.

• God is in the people who are begging to volunteer, to do anything to help.

• God is in the thousands, if not millions who are flooding blood banks thousands of miles away to help people they have never met.

• God is in the people who are comforting someone even when they don’t know what to say.

• God is in the people who watched and cried for people who may remain anonymous in name, but never in their sacrifice.

• God is in my neighborhood where I see flags waving from every home.