President and Mrs Bush
I want to say a personal word on behalf of many people
thank you mister president for calling this day of prayer and remembrance
we needed it at this time
we come together today to reaffirm our conviction that God
cares for us whatever our
ethnic religious or political background may be.
The Bible says that he is the God
of all comfort who comforts us
in our troubles no matter how hard we try
words simply cannot express the horror
the shock and the revulsion we all feel over what took place
in this nation on Tuesday morning. September 11
will go down in our history as a day
to remember. Today we say to those who masterminded this cruel plot
and to those who carried it out that the spirit of this nation
will not be defeated by there twisted and diabolical schemes.
Some day those responsible will be brought to justice
as President Bush and our congress
have so forcefully stated. But today
we especially come together in this service
to confess our need of
God. We've always needed God
from the very beginning of this nation, but today we need him especially.
We're facing a new kind of enemy
were involved in a new kind of warfare and we need the help of the Spirit of
God.
The Bible words are our hope,
God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in
trouble therefore we will not fear though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea but how do we understand
something like this
why does God allow evil like this to take place
perhaps that is what you are asking now you may even be angry
at God. I want to assure you that God understands
these feelings that you may have. We've seen so much on our television
or heard on our radio, stories
that bring tears to eyes and make us all feel a sense of anger
but God can be trusted
even when life seems at its darkest
but what are some of the lessons we can learn
first we are reminded of the mystery and reality of evil
I've been asked hundreds of times in my life
why God allows tragedy and suffering I have to confess
that I really do not know the answer totally
even to my own satisfaction I have to accept by
faith that God is sovereign and he's a God of love and mercy
and compassion in the midst of suffering
the Bible says that God is not
the author of evil it speaks of evil
as a mystery, in 1 Thessalonians 2: 7
it talks about the mystery of iniquity
the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah said
the heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure, who can understand it.
He asked that question who can understand it, and that's one reason
we each need God in our lives the lesson at this event is not only about the
mystery
of iniquity and evil but secondly its a
lesson about our need for each other. What an example
New York and Washington have been to the World
these past few days none of us will ever forget the pictures of our courageous
firefighters and police
many of whom have lost friends and colleagues
or the hundreds of people attending or standing
patiently in line to donate blood
a tragedy like this could have torn
our country apart but instead
it has united us and we've become a family
so those perpetrators who took this on to tear us apart
has worked the other way its backlash
its backfired we're more united than ever before
I think this was exemplified in a very moving way
when the members of our congress stood shoulder to shoulder the other day
and saying God Bless America
Finally, difficult as it may be for us to see right now
this event can give a message of hope
hope for the present and hope for the future
yes there is hope this hope for the present
because I believe the stage has already been set
for a new spirit in our nation. One of the things we desperately need
is a spiritual renewal in this country
we need a spiritual revival in america
and God has told us in his word time after time
that we are to repent of our sins and return to him
and He will bless us and new way
but there's also hope for the future
because of God's promises
as a Christian I have hope
not just for this life but for heaven
and the life to come in many of those people
who died this past week are in heaven right now
and they wouldn't want to come back, its so glorious and so wonderful
and that's the hope for all of us who put out faith in God
I pray that you will have this hope in your heart
this event reminds us of the brevity
and the uncertainty of life we never know when we too will be called
into eternity
I doubt if even one of those people who got on those planes
or walked into the World Trade Center or the pentagon last Tuesday morning
thought it would be the last day of their lives
they didn't the didn't occur to them and that's why each of us
needs to face our own spiritual needs and commit ourselves to God
and his will now
here in this majestic National Cathedral
we see all around us symbols
of the Cross for the Christian I'm speaking for the Christian now,
the cross tells us that God understands our sin
and our suffering for he took upon himself
in the person of Jesus Christ our sins
and our suffering and from the cross
God declares I love you I know the heartaches and the sorrows and the pains that
you feel
but I love you the story does not end with the cross
for Easter points us beyond the tragedy of the Cross
to the empty tomb it tells us that there is hope for eternal life
for Christ has conquered evil and death and hell
yes there's hope
I've become an old man now and I've preached all over the world
and the older I get the more I cling to that
hope that I started with many years ago
and began proclaimed in many languages
too many parts of the world several years ago
at the National Prayer Breakfast here in washington ambassador Andrew Young
who had just gone through the tragic death of his wife
closed his talk with a quote from the old hymn
how firm a foundation
we all watched in horror
as planes crashed into the
the steel and glass of the world trade center
those majestic towers built on solid foundations were examples
of the prosperity and creativity
of America when damaged
those buildings eventually plummeted to the ground
imploding it upon themselves
yet underneath the debris is a foundation
that was not destroyed therein lies the truth to that old
hymn that Andrew Young quoted
how firm a foundation yes
our nation has been attacked, buildings destroyed lives lost
but now we have a choice whether to implode
and disintegrate emotionally and spiritually
as a people and a nation
or whether we choose to become
stronger through all of the struggle
to rebuild on a solid foundation
and I believe that were in the process starting to rebuild
on that foundation. That foundation is our trust in God
that's what the service is all about and in that faith
we have the strength to endure something is difficult and horrendous
that's what we've experienced this week
this has been a terrible week
with many tears
but also its been a week of great faith
churches all across the country have called prayer meetings
and today as a day but they're celebrating not only in this country
but in many parts of the world and the words about familiar hymn
that Andrew Young quoted it says fear not
for I am with thee, oh be not dismayed for I am thy God
and will give thee aid, I'll strengthen thee
help thee and calls thee to stand upon my righteous
on thy righteous omnipotent hand my pray today is
that we will feel the loving arms of God
wrapped around us and we'll know in our hearts
they will never forsake us as we trust in Him
we also know that God is going to
give wisdom and courage and strength
to the president and those around him
and this is going to be a day that we will remember
as a day of victory
may God bless you all