Remembering 9/11
Today marks the 19th anniversary of 9/11, that horrific day that changed us forever when terrorists flew planes into the Twin Towers of New York City. It was a day that tested our faith in God in the face of evil.
Three days later, on Sept. 14, 2001, the Rev. Billy Graham delivered a message of hope and healing to our shocked nation.
On this day of remembrance, this excerpt from his speech that day still holds meaning in our hearts as we face another crisis in our country with the ongoing pandemic. As Rev. Graham said back then, “God can be trusted, even when life seems at its darkest.”
May God continue to bless America.
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Greg Syfan,
President, Syfan Logistics
Billy Graham’s 9/11 Message
Excerpts from his Sept. 14, 2001 remarks at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
We come together today to affirm 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 all 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 their twisted and diabolical schemes.
The Bible says, “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.”
A tragedy like this could have torn our country apart, but instead it has united us. So for those perpetrators who took this on to tear us apart, it has worked the other way – it has backlashed. We are 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 and sang, “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, 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 to choose to become stronger through all of this struggle, to rebuild on a solid foundation.
And I believe that we are starting to rebuild on that foundation. That foundation is our trust in God. And in that faith, we have the strength to endure something as difficult and as horrendous as what we have experienced this week. This has been a terrible week with many tears.
But it also has been a week of great faith. In that hymn, “How Firm a Foundation,” the words say, “Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed./For I am thy God, and will give thee aid;/I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,/Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.”
My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around us and that as we trust in Him, we will know in our hearts that He will never forsake us.
We know also that God will give wisdom and courage and strength to the President and those around him. And this will be a day that we will remember as a Day of Victory.
May God bless you all.