PENTECOST XVI
September 12, 2021
“Refuge and Strength”
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the mountains shake . . .” (Psalm 46:1, 2a)
This past week, as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were memorialized, the shock and fear, the heroism and inspiration of those days have been recalled. Even as the terrible events of that day are remembered, accounts of loving care, faithful service, and messages of hope come shining through the darkness of grief and sorrow.
Remembering that a church had been a place of respite and rest for recovery workers, I found the story of St. Paul’s Chapel, situated in lower Manhattan, directly across the street from the World Trade Center site. If anyone wonders what the church can do in a time of tragedy and devastation, we can learn how this one place served as a catalyst for ministry.
St. Paul’s Chapel, an Episcopal church built in 1766, shares ministry with Trinity Church, a few blocks away. The next day, when a priest arrived to get a look at the damage, he was amazed to find not only was it still standing, not even a pane of glass was broken. The building was determined to be sound, and as recovery work began at Ground Zero, police, rescue workers, and firefighters stopped by to rest and wash up. The chapel opened its doors, providing a space to take a break, and before long, someone set up a grill, preparing and serving food.
Within a short time, donations of all kinds poured in, more helpers arrived, and specialized volunteers assisted in organizing the effort of providing care. In three months’ time, 3,000 workers came through St. Paul’s gates, where they could have hot meals, replace damaged clothing, shoes, boots, or gloves. Doctors and nurses tended to injuries, and massage therapists and chiropractors helped relieve sore, aching muscles. Clergy and counselors listened as workers told their stories, unburdened their minds and hearts, and together they cried, prayed, and found solace in the community that was St. Paul’s.
What had started as a place for workers to rest and recover became a place filled with love, hope, and support; a place where reconciliation began to be a possibility. The chapel continued to be a house of worship, as volunteers and workers from many backgrounds participated in daily Holy Communion. After nine months of this unexpected ministry, the recovery center was no longer needed, and St. Paul’s returned to being a “regular” church. But, of course, it had never stopped being a church, it just served in the way that was needed at that time, and in that place.
We don’t know why this historic building remained standing in the midst of a terrible collapse, but it did. We don’t know how this ministry of care and recovery continued, with need for financial support, volunteers, and donations, but it did. We do know that the healing power of God’s love was demonstrated every day to those desperate for it, as God gave ordinary people extraordinary strength and abilities to work, to serve, and to be his hands outstretched in compassion. Opportunities to make a difference occur in all kinds of situations, whether in earth-shaking circumstances or small and quiet situations, and we are blessed to be called to reach out to any and all in need.
Remembering God’s goodness in all places,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers