by Bob Lee

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Twenty-five years ago this Friday, our nation experienced one of the darkest days in our history. September 11, 2001, is a day many of us can remember like it was yesterday. We remember where we were when we heard the news. We remember the images. We remember the shock, fear, grief, and uncertainty that followed. It was a day that changed how we gather, travel, and live.

As we remember September 11, I think it’s also important to remember how people responded.

The Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies published a book of sermons preached by Virginia Baptist pastors on the Sunday after the attacks. Reflecting on the twenty-fifth anniversary, I reread the book’s introduction written by Jim George, who at the time was the Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief Coordinator. He described what happened when Virginia Baptists responded to the attacks in New York City:

By the morning of September 11, the Virginia Baptist feeding unit had been placed on alert. By the following afternoon, 22 volunteers were on their way to New York with 5,000 meals ready to prepare. Eventually, 85 Virginia Baptists participated in the response, preparing more than 55,000 meals for rescue workers, displaced people, families waiting for news of loved ones, and others affected by the disaster.

But George emphasized that their ministry was about more than food.

He described driving into New York less than 48 hours after the attacks and seeing the Manhattan skyline without the Twin Towers, with smoke still rising from the remains. He described a city filled with shock, fear, and confusion.

And then he wrote about what happened when Virginia Baptists began to serve. They brought hot meals. They listened to people tell their stories. They offered compassion. They became, in his words, “a healing presence.”

Think about it. They could not undo the tragedy. They could not restore the lives that had been lost. They could not take away the grief or answer all the questions. But they could show up. They could serve. They could listen. They could offer hope. This is part of what it means to be the church in the world.

There will always be moments when we encounter suffering that is far beyond our ability to understand or fix. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is not to have an answer but to be present. We can bring a meal. We can offer a helping hand. We can listen to someone’s story. We can sit beside someone who is grieving. We can remind one another that even in the darkest places, we are not alone. If you talk with members of HRBC who have served with Disaster Relief, they will tell you that being present is the most important aspect of their ministry.  

Fifteen years ago, on the tenth anniversary of September 11, I wrote a litany of remembrance for the congregation I served. One line seems particularly appropriate after 25 years: “O God, we come remembering and we come in hope, not in ourselves, but in You.”

So, as we mark twenty-five years, let us remember those whose lives were lost. Let us remember the firefighters, police officers, first responders, and ordinary citizens who sacrificed themselves for others. Let us remember those who continue to carry wounds – visible and invisible – from that day.

And let us also remember those who responded with love. Let us remember that in the midst of destruction, there were people who were the in-the-flesh presence of Jesus who listened, served meals, stayed, and brought hope.  

And perhaps this is one of the questions September 11 leaves with us: When people around us are hurting, how will we show up? As we reflect on our answer, here’s a prayer of remembrance and thanksgiving:

Gracious God,  

We remember those who lost their lives in New York, Washington, D.C.,  

and Pennsylvania.

We remember those who instinctively ran toward danger.

We remember the public servants who laid down their lives for others.

We remember the families whose lives were forever changed.

We give thanks for those who responded with courage and compassion – like those from the BGAV – who brought food, offered shelter, listened to stories, and became a healing presence in the midst of suffering.

As we remember, remind us that our hope is not in ourselves, but in you.

Where there is hatred, make us instruments of love.

Where there is injury, bring healing.

Where there is despair, give hope.

Where there is darkness, let your light shine.

And may we remember that your mercies never cease and your compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. Amen.

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Dr. Bob Lee is the senior pastor of Huguenot Road Baptist Church, a BGAV-participating congregation in North Chesterfield, Virginia.