“Mercy in the Middle” (Suffering: part 3)

On the corner of Broadway and Fulton street in New York City is a sacred place.  For eight months after 9/11, hundreds of volunteers from all over the United States worked 12 hour shifts around the clock at St. Paul’s Chapel.  There, meals were served, beds were made, counseling was given, and prayers were lifted up with firefighters, construction workers, and law enforcement.

I had the privilege of visiting this chapel on a sunny day back in May of 2006 almost 5 years after 9/11. I was one of a few brave adult chaperones who gave up a week to go to NYC with a bunch of seventh graders that included my oldest daughter.  That visit to St. Paul’s was my favorite, most meaningful experience from my very first visit to NYC. Not the famous park. Not the famous skyscrapers. Not even the Broadway play Wicked.

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I entered the graveyard which led into the chapel.  I was not prepared for my tears as I quietly walked into that holy place.   Candles were lit. Reverence was felt. I read the notes from fire fighters and construction workers pinned to the wall.  I grabbed the chapel bulletin to take home to staple in journal #31 so I would never forget that spiritual experience.

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During my visit, I silently asked… “God, where were you during 9/11?” Thousands of lives were not spared at the World Trade Center. Sixty-four souls on Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, also killing the 125 people inside that building.  Forty souls on Flight 93 crashed down in rural Pennsylvania. Women who previously had Mrs. attached to their names were given the new role of widows. Bright-eyed boys and girls with shiny futures instantly became fatherless and motherless.

Even though God gets blamed for everything, He also suffered. From The North Face of God, Ken Gire writes, “Jesus could bear the pain of the nails, the thorns, the beatings.  He could bear the public humiliation, the personal ridicule. He could bear the betrayal, the desertion, the denial of his friends.  But the abandonment of God he could not bear.” From the cross Jesus loudly cried out, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?!” Where was God during 9/11? In the middle. As Jesus hung on the cross he was in the middle, between two criminals who were also crucified. Mercy in the middle. Jesus is in the middle of the suffering still experienced by the survivors from 9/11.  He is also in the middle of your suffering.

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Gire continues, “For those whose lives have been shattered by loss, there is no place in the Scriptures as hospitable as the Psalms and in that book David wrote: “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?” (13:1-2a NLT) Will you pray for the survivors of 9/11?

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pictures courtesy of “Nelson & his Nikon”

 

3 thoughts on ““Mercy in the Middle” (Suffering: part 3)

  1. Mercy in the Middle. Beautiful words ! This title fits this devotional perfectly. I am going to do some artwork with these words pointing out a SOUL FELT sentence that stands as truth in every instance in every moment of our lives! “Mercy in the Middle” and thank you Nelson for sharing this. 9/11 was a day that will never be forgotten! Photos are Perfect also!

  2. Somehow I missed this one from the other day but each devotional seems even more touching than the last. I so look forward to reading these…. and I also love the photos. Several from last couple of weeks look familiar (Nancy Silvey)….. 🙂

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About nelsonhaynes500words

My name is William-Nelson-Haynes. I mentioned my full name because I want to share more than just two-thirds of me. Since life is a journey, it is my hope that this blog keeps you from feeling alone. Please check out my background, education and experience in "The Writer" part of the Menu on the top left-hand corner of the home page. Other Menu items you can scroll through are the Authors who influenced me, Magazine Articles I write for Good News Magazine, the Top 15 books that affected me spiritually, and the other hobbies that also make me come alive.