9/11 attacks

Today’s Faith: Staying Strong After The 9/11 attacks

ByRicky Allen

Today’s Faith requires you to remember the 9/11 attacks with hope in God’s strength. Today we travel to 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

I’ll never forget where I was the morning of September 11, 2001. The images of the 9/11 attacks are etched into my heart, just like they are for so many of you. It was a day filled with shock, grief, and questions we didn’t know how to answer. And yet, even in the middle of such devastation, God never left us. He was still the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. Over the years, He has continued to carry families, communities, and an entire nation that still remembers.

When we look back, it’s not only about recalling pain. It’s also about seeing the hope that remains. Faith doesn’t erase sorrow, but it does steady us. It gives us peace in moments when peace feels impossible. The 9/11 attacks remind us of how quickly life can change, but they also remind us that God is our steady foundation. He is with us when the world shakes, and He is with us when our hearts ache.

9/11 attacks
Elmira College students and others place American flags along Park Place on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in remembrance of the almost 3,000 people who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Strength in God’s Comfort After the 9/11 Attacks

Paul writes that God comforts us in our troubles so we can comfort others in theirs. Isn’t that beautiful? That truth takes on such meaning when we think about the 9/11 attacks. You and I are called to step into the lives of others with compassion because we’ve tasted God’s comfort ourselves. We honor the memory of those who were lost by being a source of encouragement, hope, and peace to the people around us. And every time we pray for healing, every time we extend kindness, we are letting God’s light shine through us.

Today’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

In Paul’s introduction of his second letter to the Corinthians, he lays out a great declaration:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Call and Response Liturgy

  • Call: We remember the sorrow of the 9/11 attacks.
  • Response: We look to the God of comfort.
  • Call: We honor those whose lives were lost.
  • Response: We trust in the God who restores.
  • Call: We pray for peace in our world.
  • Response: We walk in the strength of Christ.

9/11 attacks

SOURCE: Pexels.com

Prayer

Heavenly Father what a blessing it is to come to you on this day that may cause pain for so many. We will never forget the 9/11 attacks because evil is indeed real. We saw that this week with the murder of Charlie Kirk and a young Ukrainian woman on a bus. 

We asked ourselves why? Why is this happening now? Yet, we have faith and courage to wake up and trust you with our plans and path of the day. Life is hard, and no one is immune to dealing with the evils of this world. One thing I do know, Lord Jesus, you are here and near. 

So I ask you to lead the healing process of this country. So many are angry right now and we do not need anyone taking the law into their own hands. I have faith, and I believe. Remind me of this when I’m alone with my thoughts. Help me be discerning with what I watch and listen to, and may we all receive your grace with joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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