Words of Hope at Ground Zero

December 1, 2001 - Families of the World Trade Center victims gathered October 28 at Ground Zero for a memorial service at which I gave the benediction. It's humbling to stand where thousands have died, including hundreds of fire fighters and police officers who sacrificed their lives trying to save others. It's heartbreaking to stand before families who have hoped so long for a miraculous rescue.

by Franklin Graham

Almost seven weeks after the terrorist attacks, the scene still defies comprehension. For the memorial service all construction work stopped, and Ground Zero, New York City, was respectfully quiet.

During these seven weeks, only a tenth of the bodies have been recovered, identified and given proper funerals. Families, beginning to accept that there is nothing else for them here, needed to be assured that our Lord God is greater than their grief, and I prayed, "Father, as we grieve on this day, we are reminded of Your grief and the sacrifice that You made for all mankind when You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to this earth to die for our sins on Calvary's cross; and we are reminded of the hope that we have through the power of His name."

At moments like these, our words fail us, but God's Word never fails. In the words of the Apostle Paul: "Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39, KJV).

It is my prayer that September 11 will be remembered not only as a day of destruction, disaster and evil, but also as the day that our nation turned its eyes back to the living God.