Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Every year on 9/11 I remember…
- all the lives that were taken in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, PA,
- the horror of seeing the first tower burning, then watching the second plane hit the second tower,
- the incredible horror of watching those towers crumble, the debris clouds unfurl and blanket the earth for block upon block,
- the people running for their lives, trying to outrun the debris, but succumbing…
- the gaping, burning section of the pentagon…
- the smoke tower rising above the hole in Shanksville.
- that for at least two years after that, 9/11 was still raw on my mind and in my heart every day,
- that one day I realized that I hadn’t thought once about 9/11, until that moment of recognition,
- that the pain still returns.
I hurt
- for what those poor people went through,
- especially for their families
- for the ones who survived death, but were injured and incapacitated, mentally, spiritually, and physically,
- and for their families.
I am grateful to those men and women who answered the call to arms against our enemies. I grieve for all of those who have given so much of their lives, their bodies, their families….to answer the horrific and unjust actions of heartless human beings against other bearers of God’s Image in the Family of Man.
And I bend my knees to The God of All Things Created…and cry, “Holy Father, God Almighty! I don’t understand why things like this have to happen–but I acknowledge that You were there in the middle of them because You are always with us. You, Lord God, gathered Your children into Your bosom that day, as you do every day. You, Lord God, heal the broken hearts of their loved ones, and the rest of us. You, Lord God, take on our yoke…and You, Lord God, make our burdens so much lighter.
Come, Lord Jesus! Come soon!
Amen.
Jo's Readings 