CHICAGO, IL (September 11, 2007) – Moments ago, an ambulance siren broke the brief silence one experiences from time to time in a large urban setting.
The sound of sirens in the city is nothing new, but on this particular day this siren interrupted my work flow and caused me to once again pause and reflect on the horrific events of six years ago, when a nation was glued to whatever televisions and radios were within hearing.
The unthinkable had occurred. Thousands of lives were snuffed out in a matter of minutes. It was a numbing and confusing experience. And in the hours to follow, as it became clear that this tragedy was the work of terrorists, those feelings of bewilderment gave way to feelings of anger and demands for retribution. Vengeful, bitter, vindictive feelings.
Perhaps one of the most-often uttered questions arises: Where is God in all of this? Or put another way, how could a loving God allow things like this to happen?
I was taken back to a time of deep pain and loss in my own life, when those same questions came to the surface. The best answer came from a friend and colleague, who gently put his arm around my shoulder and said, “I like to think that God was right here weeping with you.”
Events like 9/11 are not what God had in mind when he created this incredible world in which we are privileged to live. Sin entered the picture, spawning evil and violence that at times seems overwhelming as one scans typical news headlines from around the globe. That is not what God originally had in mind to be sure.
As I watch and listen to the many moving tributes today, I am picturing God watching in silence, weeping with us.
