Remember and Abide

The New York City skyline, with the Freedom Tower at center

We remember the disbelief.
The horror.
The grief.
The heaviness of loss,
Mourning for those we never knew.
A world changed for all,
Worlds annihilated
For others—
”Lasts” they didn’t see coming:
The final embrace,
The final laugh,
The final word.
”Oh, God!” rang out,
For some an exclamation,
For some a prayer.
And You were there.

I still don’t understand
How evil swallows men whole,
Then dispatches dead souls
To consume the living.
I’m unable to comprehend
Your ways, dear God,
Why You intervene in the chaos
And why You don’t.
But where can I turn
If not to You?
I can’t catch myself
In freefall,
Or stitch together peace
Out of flimsy
Philosophies.

I stand with Simon Peter,
Your beloved friend:
“Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life,
And we have believed,
And have come to know,
That you are the Holy One of God.”
And so, dear Jesus,
I abide in You.
I can find no comfort
Except in the shelter
Of Your arms.

Come, fellow traveler,
And toss your doubts
At the Savior’s feet.
Take hold of His calloused hand,
And join the dance
Of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Gliding in,
Above,
Around,
And beyond
All creation.

I wait for answers
I’ll receive in Heaven.
And yet I know
That the broken glass
Of this world
Will be swept away
By God’s glory.
And all will be well.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:3-5 (ESV)

See John 6:67-69 to read Jesus’s conversation with Simon Peter and the other disciples.