Peace in the aftermath of turmoil

There is an undeniable feeling of gratitude for all that we have in the aftermath of a crisis. We see life through the eyes of faith. We stop. We step away from our hectic pace, long enough to let our inner self emerge. We stop to smell the roses. We rediscover this thing called faith, we perhaps had as a child, forcing its way deep within our souls, to a wonderful awakening. We realize we were previously sleep walking through life and are now amazingly aware of our innerself. This inner whisper of God helps us endure the worse life has to offer. We feel united with all living creatures, realizing how precious life is, and realizing our oneness with God.

Our lives will never be the same, as we scramble perhaps to review our entire life from a different perspective, looking for a more meaningful way to spend the rest of our years.

In the aftermath of the brutal attack on the United States by terrorists, we find our lives have been altered. The world has changed. New York City will never be the same after the World Trade Centers came crashing down to a pile of debris, with lives crushed to the ground, as people searched for answers as to how something like this could happen in one of the greatest cities in the world.

However, the goodness of God is shining his light on the world calling us to do His will, through the hands of thousands of people who came out in droves to help their neighbor. We see God working through the Red Cross, the firefighters, police, rescue workers, hospital workers and many citizens who lined up to give blood. We see a mayor and govenor working together to pull the city out of the trenches of hell. We even saw the New York Mets hug the Atlanta Brave players after a warm patriotic ceromony at Shea stadium.

Unity was taking center stage as our differences were put aside. All Americans were uniting, regardless of our heritage. An awareness was settling in, as many grappled with the wonderful notion that we are all created equal in the image of God.

The common bond of being Americans has shined through the rubble of the dark debris. The light of Christ has luminated its glow in the hearts of all New Yorkers. Gods love has overpowered the evil. Gods love has lifted many from the trenches of despair. Good has emerged from the bad and we find God at the center of it all, lovingly guiding us to do His work and His will. We are lifted to new heights of gratitude for our families and friends. We are lifted to new heights of faith. We can now look up into the sky and appreciate the sunset. We can look at a rose and appreciate the beauty of Gods creation. We can be inspired by our earth, in spite of the dark circumstances that surround us. Gratitude has prevailed, as we see the destruction and suffering around us. God is present in each and every one of us.

At ground zero, a construction worker found two beams shaped as a hugh cross. He said he found this cross, almost standing upright two days after the towers fell. A twenty foot icon. He knew this was an act of God. Many workers gather around this cross to pray. They know this is a symbol of Gods presence at the disaster site. This miraculous cross has given the workers much peace. Many gather around it to receive Holy communion by priests.

A Fransician friar, Brian Jordan, said in a News article that the cross was a symbol of hope, our symbol of faith, our symbol of healing. He performed a blessing ceremony, on October 4th, whereas he blessed the cross with Holy water. The Fransician Friar said this was an especially moving ceremony because it fell on the Feast of St. Francis, a day when Catholics give thanks , "for all of God's creation." Rescuers at the site took off their helmets and gathered at the base of the cross for the blessing ceremony. The Fransician friar declared, "Behold the glory of the cross at ground zero."

Before the ceremony, a welder fused a base to the cross and melted onto it several commemorative state quarters - each representing the home states of the rescuers. The cross was lifted by a crane onto a concrete beam over a fallen crosswalk on West Street. A bagpiper played "Amazing Grace", as many were overcome with emotion. God's love was again emerging from the destruction, giving the rescue workers new meaning to life. These workers are drawn to the site, not just to work, but to find solace and the peace of God.

I hope the families of the victims also find some comfort in this cross. The symbol of hope for Christians.

The families of the victims who perished,however,need much more assurance of God's love. Their families have been riped apart. The innocent victims are the children who are now without a mother or a father. The grief is unbearable. I can't imagine what they are going through, since just reading about the many memorial funerals, in the newspaper, has brought me to tears.

These families need to have that question answered that so many have asked in the last few weeks. Why did God allow this to happen to us?

God gives us all free will. He tries hard to steer us in a direction of being good humanitarian citizens. However, there are some in this world that opt for the bad road, the evil road. This is their free will. God cannot stop the terroists from their vicious acts of evil, but God can make the going easier. His comfort, guidance, love, hope and devotion is always there for us in the form of goodwill from others to help in times of crisis. God is standing firm in many hearts of those who not only gave their time to help, but also gave so much money to help the victims families.

All Americans honor the brave rescue workers who lost their lives, saving others. We also honor the innocent victims who died in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania by acts of inhuman terrorism. We salute them all and support their families with prayers. This act of Gods love must be a consolation to the families who have lost dear love ones. It must be their strength. The good people of our city offered their love and support in any way possible, and this is certainly a comfort in time of such sorrow. People around the world, from every walk of life, gave their loving support in words and deeds. There are so many lost heros in this horrible crime of hate.The magnitude of the lose is incomprehensible.

William Blake said, "Man was made for joy and woe and when this we rightly know, through the world we safely go. Joy and woe are woven fine a clothing for the soul divine."

There will always be natural diasters, earthquakes, crimes of hate, people starving around the world, but when we seek shelter from the storms of life, under Gods wing, the joy is much more significant than the woe. God brings this peace and joy into our hearts. It is the brave soul who under extremely dire circumstances who can stand firm in their faith in God, knowing that "All things work for good to those who love God."

We cannot fathom the mystery behind the evil. We know there is no excuse for killing innocent people. We cannot even begin to comprehend the mindset behind the insane hate, but we can see the good coming out of the debris. We can see the light shining through the darkest hour. We can see the unity of our world standing firm, almost hand and hand, offering love and consolation. God has taken us out of the darkest hour of despair into the light of hope. God is hope. God is love. God is peace.

Praying, as a nation, will definitely help bring peace to the world. Praying for peace and an end to terrorism will help ease the pain. You see the terrorist win, if we have hate in our hearts. If we harbor bitterness they win. If we keep our soul on the edge of anxiety, they win. If we are afraid, they win. If we hate them then we become like them. But, if we pray for our enemies and forgive them,then we are free from their control on us. They cannot harm us when we release the resentment. They cannot harm us when we release the hate. The terrorist control our minds when we conform to the same feelings they harbor for us, and we start giving this hate back to our families and neighbors. Then a vicious circle entails, whereas, the hate never ends. What goes around comes around and the evil in the terrorist will come back to haunt them. It is inevitable.

Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies and let Gods wrath come upon them, in Gods good time. That does not mean we should not seek justice. Justice should be done.The people who did this should be brought before a court of law and tried in a civilized manner. President Bush is calling for justice and for the world to stand by us. And the world does stand united with America.

We must continue to pray for peace, never forgetting what happened. You see, peace starts with you and me. If we all had a peaceful heart there would be no wars, hate crimes, terroist attacks or fears to walk the streets at night. Peace begins at home in each and every heart.

And never forget that symbol of hope, faith and healing of the cross at ground zero. This miracle, was one of many, that erupted from the rubble of despair.
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Let us all pray for the peace of God to enter our souls,but most importantly in this time of turmoil, MAY THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING BE WITH ALL OF US.

Jesus said in John 14 27-28
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

Let us embellish ourselves in the peace of God,knowing, not just believing, that He has conquered the world and His love will comfort us in our time of grief. May our focus always be on the good, in every bad situation. And may the many valuable lessons that emerged from the rubble always carry on in our hearts,never forgetting the good samaritans who truly love their neighbor as they love themselves. Remember the heros who gave up their lives to save others. Honor them daily, with prayer.


GOD BLESS YOU.