Michael Bollenbach

If the Lord is putting upon your heart to help financially with the recovery efforts of WTC victims, please make you contribution payable to "TLCF" earmarked for Disaster Relief. Our heart is to help people turn their hearts to the Lord. All contributions are tax deductible. "and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

In the aftermath of this senseless and cowardly attack on the United States of America, it is important for all of us to take stock and assess what has occurred. The utter destruction of the World Trade Center has rocked to the core New York, America and the world. God blessed me with the privilege and honor of volunteering at ground zero with this nation’s bravest and finest American heroes. I witnessed a coming together of spirit and purpose like I have never witnessed before. I volunteered with the hope and expectation of rescuing souls as well as bodies. I was hopeful that people would see Jesus through me but I was too late ... God was already there, working in the hearts and minds of the people greatly grieved by the horror of what once was. God in His infinite mercy and wisdom was present in the broken and contrite hearts of His children. Never were so many people willing to listen to the voice of God as He spoke through their hearts, some listening for the very first time. It seemed to me that the only thing equaling the massive evil that reduced the Twin Towers to piles of dust, ash, twisted metal and death was the massive goodness, love and compassion now being brought to life.

It’s time for us to examine our lives and take a long, hard look at how we live, think and treat others. For most of us it’s time to repent ... to turn our minds away from sin and toward God. We as a nation and a peoples must begin to pray for the continuing repentance of America. I believe this is a wake up call and an opportunity for us to repent from our own sinful lifestyle and return to God individually and collectively as a nation. We do indeed live in perilous times. We cannot turn our backs and depart as a nation and people from our one true God and at the same time demand God’s continuing hand of protection. When God is removed from the collective consciousness of America, only severe and dire consequences will result as we have all experienced on 9-11-01, a date that will forever be etched in our consciousness.

It is time for each of us individually and as a nation to deeply examine ourselves, to seek forgiveness from our sins, and to turn our hearts and minds once again to our God. God promises to accept all who come to Him with a broken and contrite heart. Only then may we sing with steadfast assurance “God Bless America.” As I gaze upon the faces and look into the eyes of people I meet, I’ve yet to find one without a broken heart, especially from those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. God and only God is able and willing to restore us and to heal us both physically and spiritually for God is love.

For those seeking individual retaliation, don’t. God is also a God of justice and His justice demands the punishment of evil. God often uses governments -not individuals- as His instrument of justice. It is no coincidence that President George W. Bush, a godly man, is our elected leader. We should not pursue private retaliation but infinite justice. God placed the spirit and need for justice within the hearts of all men. The righteous punishment of evil is justice before our holy and righteous God - either now while in the flesh, or later when we must all appear before the judgment seat of God and answer for our deeds. We cannot and must not take upon ourselves individual acts of vengeance or violence toward any group, persons, race or religion. God and God alone sees and knows the hearts of men and will justly “reward” each one their due. A massive gulf of separation needs to exist between our hearts and the hearts of men bent upon evil, death and destruction. The distinction must be clearly evident. Our government, under the leadership of President George W Bush shall be the instrument of justice by the hand of our just God.

Now is the time for us to look inward and examine ourselves ... to look upward and seek mercy and forgiveness ... then reach outward with compassion and love. God’s peace begins in the heart one person at a time before it can permeate the world’s people for all time. Let’s recognize we are all members of the community of humanity. May the love and peace of God be with us all.

We tried to return to to business as usual. Then we noticed the faces in the smoke.