Shock, disbelief, anger, outrage, sorrow, grief, anguish, frustration, emptiness, sympathy, sadness and fear were all part of our emotional experience this past week. Hearing of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon in Washington, DC and the World Trade Center in New York City and the subsequent collapse of those massive structures helped us to realize the forces of evil alive in our world. 

I believe that God gave us free will, so that we could participate in his creating power. He gave us talents and abilities to be used in freedom for the realization of our own personhood and for the good of all. Unfortunately, original sin makes us turn in on ourselves to harbor evil desires and wishes on others. Instead of reaching out to others to help, human beings have the capability of hating others with such intensity that deliberate acts of violence against other innocent human beings is possible. Each of us can recognize our own dark side, and, hopefully, we strive to rid ourselves of those desires and turn to the practice of virtue. We do seek to be concerned about others for their good. 

Some have asked why God made this disaster happen. I am sure that God is more appalled at this senseless act of destruction than we are. God is wondering, “How could human beings be so cruel to one another?” Human beings with evil desires made this happen. God did not make this happen. 

Catastrophic events are not new to human history. Such events help us to realize the value of other human beings, of human institutions that we take for granted and actually help us to realize our deep dependence on God, God whom we often ignore or take for granted. Hard as it may be to believe, good does emerge from such disasters. We come to appreciate the fragility of life and the value of other persons and their contribution to our lives. We come to appreciate the richness of our lives. 

When fear enters our thoughts, we need only think of the words of the 23rd Psalm, “ If I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, you are there…You give me comfort.” 

A woman walked into St. Catherine’s last week and let out a barrage of sobs. She had not realized the enormity of the actions she performed in saving three people. With all the destruction around her, she realized the hand of God saving her and her companions. She was in church to thank God for her safety and for the gift of her continued life. 

Anguish typified those who had/have not heard about loved ones. The uncertainty can be worse than the worst news. Firefighters, police officers may have perished, but they died doing what they set out to do, to save lives, having dedicated themselves as public servants to the good of their brothers and sisters. What better death than do die for the sake of others? Women and men working to support their families and to provide a service to others also perished in the calamity. What fault for them? 

As Christians, we believe that death is an opportunity to participate in the peace and the love of God’s heavenly kingdom, freed from war and strife, for all eternity. Separated from our loved one, our hearts grow in appreciation of their contribution to our lives. 

Franklin Square has been saddened by the loss of many of its worthy sons and daughters. Some firefighters, some police officers, some simply in other public service, others working for service organizations to help others financially and in other ways. We can be proud of our community, its people and their noble pursuits. We can also be proud of the response of rescue workers from Franklin Square who are helping in the heroic task of sifting through the destruction to rescue people and to recover bodies. Community members have been so very supportive of the families who await word about missing loved ones. 

May God help us to cope with our loss. May God bless all of us as we strive to use our gifts for the betterment of ourselves and the community of people surrounding us. May those who have perished, experience the peace of heaven. May we re-dedicate ourselves to seeking the goodness in ourselves and re-dedicating ourselves to our children and their spiritual and moral development. 

Rev. Thomas W. Groenewold 
Pastor