“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” -2 Corinthians 1:3-4
I remember well the events of that morning 16 years ago. It started out like any other work day. Aimee and I were in the car, on our way to work. I remember hearing the DJ on the radio say, “We are not sure what has happened, may it was a bomb, but something has happened at one of the World Trade Towers.” Our lives were changed that morning. 2,996 lives were lost and just over 6,000 people were wounded in the terrorist attacks on New York, Washington DC, and in those four airplanes, one of which crashed in a Pennsylvania field. It was a devastatingly sad day that forever changed history.
I spent most of the day at my desk that day at the First United Methodist Church of Altus answering phone calls. We did our best to offer comfort and peace to our community. Like everyone who called in, I was worried about the future and deeply troubled by what we were seeing on TV.
I remember one phone call that day. A person called in looking for answers to a question they had. They were worried that what they were seeing was part of God’s wrath. They wanted to know what our church thought. I am sure my answer was far from helpful at the moment. To be honest, I had not thought about God’s wrath in that moment. When she shared her question with me my imagination began to work in overdrive.
It has been 16 years since those attacks and they are just as sad, today, as they were then. Thankfully, we have not seen anything like those devastating and violent acts. However, I have heard a variation of the question that was asked of me on 9/11 many other times. It seems like every time a natural disaster or other significant event takes place, many jump to the conclusion that God is somehow punishing people.
In each of these events, I have witnessed God at work. God has not been at work punishing and afflicting damage. God has been at work offering mercy, comfort and peace. As the Apostle Paul wrote so long ago, God is, “The Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflicton, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
September 11 is a day that we remember the tragic events that took place. It is also a day for us to look back and remember that God was offering peace and hope to so many. In the sixteen years, I have learned that God is not a god of punishment, but that God is a God of mercy, love and comfort. For these gifts of God, I join the Apostle Paul in offering my praise and blessing to God, our Father, who has giving us hope in the midst affliction and strength to live life with courage and peace.
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
