Reading about September 11th and listening to the radio stations play excerpts from the original coverage of 911, one can’t help but remember just how difficult that time was.  Thousands died and millions suffered.  And the selfless courage displayed on that day by the hundreds of firemen and police officers who ran into the Twin Towers as thousands ran out will be remembered forever.

But while it was one of our nation’s darkest hours, out of this great tragedy emerged the great goodness of the American people.  In the days that followed, millions of families gathered around  their kitchen tables to talk and to pray;  reconnecting and recommitting to all that they held dear.  Millions volunteered to serve both in New York and through out the country . Churches were filled to overflowing and a spirit of faith was reborn in our country that had not been seen in a very long time.  And as that faith strengthened every heart,  we became once again, “One Nation Under God”.  But where is that faith now?

In many schools in our country, they don’t start their day with the Pledge of Allegiance for fear of “offending” someone with the use of the phrase, “One Nation Under God”.  Pornography and strip clubs have somehow become “freedom of speech” issues, and yet Pastors who dare to speak on the moral issues of our time are often threatened with legal action.   Where is the freedom of speech for those who serve the Lord?   Consumed with worry over issues such as the economy, we have sometimes allowed ourselves to forget that it is not the “treasures” of this world we must worry about-but of the next.    Where is our faith now?

Without a doubt, our country has seen some very tough times.  But what has always brought Americans together, what has given us the courage and strength to face the tough times and the terrible tragedies that sometimes occur in our world, is faith.   Faith in God, faith in each other, and faith in the values and traditions that have so well stood the test of time.  But if we want for our children a life that is anchored by faith and family and lighted by their dreams and hopes for the future, then we need to work together to protect and preserve them.  For it is these three-Faith, Family and Freedom-that have made us what we have always been:  “The land of the free and home of the brave”.

One has only to pick up a newspaper to realize that times are indeed very difficult.  With gas prices out of control and food prices rising, many families are struggling to make ends meet.  And many have even lost their homes.  With no end in site, the world as we know it has changed once again.

But as much as we worry about the changes that are occurring, the one thing that does not change is God’s steadfast love for us.  While the challenges we face may indeed be difficult, the answer to meeting those challenges  is the same as it has been since the beginning of time.  Faith.  Faith in God and faith in each other.  For as a great writer once said, “the hope for our world lies in the power of God working through the hearts of people”.   And that hope can be seen each and every day. 

It’s in  the kindness of our neighbors; it’s in the many people who bring food to the food banks to help make sure other s have enough to eat.  It exists in the devotion of the men and women who serve in our churches, or as doctors and teachers.  It can be seen in those who selflessly  risk their lives by serving in our armed forces and in our police and fire departments.  It exists in the smile that comes your way from someone at work and in the kind words of a stranger you just met.  It exists in all the moms and dads who work so hard every day to give their children the best life they can and it exists in the hearts of our children who we love so much.  There is hope for our world.  It is, where it has always been-in the “power of God working through the hearts of people”, and it is in our willingness to “love our neighbor”.