A Time of Mourning,
Prayer and Repentance

The terrorists that hi-jacked four airliners, tore apart the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon Building in Washington, D.C., and left only bits of the fourth aircraft in the fields outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania ... on September 11, 2001 ... did more than crumble concrete, shatter glass, splinter wood, and distort steel. These crimes tore apart the lives of millions of people, not only in this country but around the world ... including yours and mine.

The people who did these unimaginable deeds, may have thought that they were doing the work of God as they conceive God to be ... for whatever reason. In that thought, those people were wrong. Whatever the intent, the attack was not the work of God. It was an unprecedented atrocity against the people of this country. It was anger and hatred murderously vomited all over our babies, our children, our sons, our daughters, our grandchildren, our wives, our husbands, our fathers, our mothers, our grandfathers and our grandmothers, our friends , and our neighbors.

It is likely that we will never know for certain the number of people who perished in those crashes and the aftermath. No one can know everyone who was working that day, who was visiting those buildings, or who was walking on the street, nearby. We can pray for all those who died ... known and unknown ... that they might find final rest and peace in the arms of God. And we can shed tears ... for them and for ourselves.

We can pray for the survivors ... some of whom are barely holding on to life, perhaps buried underneath rubble ... that they would know God's sustaining grace.

We can pray for the survivors who have made it away from the areas of devastation ... that they would experience God's healing touch ... not only on their bodies, but on their minds and their hearts.

We can stand in prayer with those who wait for word of loved ones and friends who have disappeared. Those for whom every moment is forever, and for whom every phone call is dreaded event that may bring bad news.

We can pray for the rescuers who continue to dig through the rubble ... hoping yet to find survivors alive ... that they would have strength of body and spirit to continue their arduous work.

We can pray for the law enforcement, judicial and military people who are seeking to find out who aided and abetted these terrible deeds ... that all those who helped this terrorism might be brought to justice.

Least we give the people who committed these abominable acts control of our very hearts, making us as full of hatred and violence as they, we can pray for those who have crucified us as a nation ... as Jesus prayed for those who crucified him ... "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they do."

We can pray for ourselves a prayer of repentance ... repentance is about confession and change ... a prayer that we, the people of this world, the people of this nation, the people of this community, would change from our ways of fear, anger and hatred so that we will not do this kind of thing to one another ever again.

Let Us Pray!!!