Weekly Sermon

Our Faith is Based on Nothing Less

A Service of Remembrance and Hope on the Anniversary of 9/11, 2001

John 14:1-4, 15-19, 27

The Reverend Anne Benefield Geneva Presbyterian Church, September 11, 2002

In his farewell address to the disciples, Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also… "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate, to be with you forever. This is the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will life. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, do not let them be afraid." Prayer: Lord God, illuminate our hearts and minds that we might be comforted in your presence, strengthened in your love, and encouraged in your hope. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. It has been a year-a tough year-but the Lord said, "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." Friends in faith, the presence of the Lord in prayer, and the words of the scriptures have comforted us. Our faith is based on nothing less than the promises that our savior made to his disciples. Jesus Christ assures us that we are not alone and that there is eternal life-a mansion with many rooms. As survivors and witnesses, perhaps the hardest thing is the compassion we feel for the victims and their families. It is impossible for us to imagine their pain. It is frightening even to try to conceive of it. There is a danger of becoming obsessed with the terror of 911. Nevertheless, we are blessed that in Jesus Christ we understand life and death differently. First, Christ has proven that we are not alone. When we connect with the pain of the victims, we must pause to affirm that they were not alone either. God was with every person who died. God wrapped his arms around them, holding them to his heart, and bringing them to eternity. In times of tragedy we always ask, "Where was God?" The answer is that God was with everyone who suffered in the Pentagon, Trade Centers, and on that field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The tears of the Lord mingled with the tears of all who were hurt and broken. Because Jesus died on the cross, we know that he will go anywhere with us. Do you remember how during the weeks following 911 there were days and days of rain? Some of the people who worked on the Pentagon and World Trade Centers felt the raindrops were the tears of God. Just maybe they were right. The second thing to know is that this life is not the end of life. There is more. There is God's kingdom beyond this realm. In God @ Ground Zero, Chaplain Ray Giunta tells about an angry young woman confronting him at the Union Square subway station in New York City. She yelled at him, "I hate you and what you stand for! I hate all religions! They're the reason that all these people died!" Standing next to her was an older woman, who appeared to be her mother. She looked embarrassed and the chaplain thought she might be a Christian. He said, "I understand exactly how you feel…The answers we all need may be impossible to know right now, but I tell you one thing. You love your mom, right?" She said, "Yes." The chaplain asked her "How long would be enough time to be able to be with her? Fifty years?" She answered, "Yes, that'd be great." "How about if it could be forever?" "You're talking about heaven, aren't you?" "It's one of the good things about your mom's faith: life after death-no matter how death comes or when. If you're right about all religions, there's nothing ahead to hold on to. But if your mother's faith in Christ is right, then you'll always be with her. There's not a whole lot more to the choice, really." A rose vendor approached them. The chaplain normally wouldn't buy a rose, but he did. "Here, this is for you." He held it out to the young woman. She took it, her eyes softening, reddening a bit. "I'll place it on the memorial." She took a step toward one of the makeshift memorials at the subway station entrance. "No, no," he said. "That's for you. Press it in a book, and years from now you'll find it, and you and your mom will remember this night." He left them and walked down into the subway station. A few minutes later he felt a tap on his shoulder. The daughter said, "I just wanted to catch you, to tell you that, well, I still have lots of questions, but the answers don't seem as hard. Thank you." [Ray Giunta, God @ Ground Zero, (Nashville: Integrity Publishers, 2002), p. 171-173] We are never alone and our future is secure in the love of God. Our faith is based on nothing less. I can't end without telling one more story from Chaplain Ray Giunta. He wrote: "I boarded a subway train at the height of rush hour on my first trip back. It was packed. Sardines aren't as crushed as we were. I had never seen a train so full. I am always amazed at how many people can squeeze into a New York subway car at rush hour; if the doors can close, then the car is good to go. That was the scenario. No one was happy; we were all cheek to jowl. To my far left, a woman had had all she could take. "Stop pushing!" she said to the man behind her. "I'm not pushing," he grunted. "Stop pushing!" she repeated, louder. "I'm not the one doing it! I'm not pushing!" He said. "You are doing it! Stop pushing!" she said, now yelling. "STOP PUSHING!" The man yelled back, "LADY, WHY DON'T YOU GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN!" [Ibid., 185] Straight to heaven, that's our destination. Are you ready? Don't forget your candle to light the way. Amen.