God bless America … and you!

By Pastor Jim Stauffer

Trinity Evangelical UMC

We remembered the 20th anniversary of 9/11 last Saturday and are in the midst of the 170th Wyandot County Fair.  There is much to reflect upon and much to be thankful for.

For those of us who remember 9/11, it was a day of shock and disbelief.  The emotions remind me of the start of Psalm 22 (which Jesus quotes on the cross), “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  

We suffered the worst attack on our country, the sudden death of almost 3,000 people, and we suddenly faced a new challenge of security.

However, amid fear we realize that only God can provide us the comfort, hope, and security we need. Like the Psalmist, our country came together to pray and cried our “Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.” If you know the Lord, you know the promise of His peace and presence.

Out of the fear of that day, I pray we learned to realize there is evil in the world, that our freedom cannot be taken for granted, and that we need to persevere in pursuing the truth, that all people “are created equal” and that we are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

As Jesus quoted Psalm 22 from the cross, He was aware that death would not be the end. That on the other side of that terrible Friday was a Resurrection Sunday. The Psalmist said, “I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.” (Psalm 22:22)

Our world is amid another great crisis. The CDC reports that 656,318 people have died from COVID in the U.S. Our need for prayer, courage, faith and hope is as needed today as it ever has been. 

Twenty-five percent of Americans do not remember 9/11 because they were too young or not even born yet. God has seen this country through many difficult days — and we all need to learn the lessons of history.

Lessons like: Seek God, spend time in prayer, love your neighbor as yourself, be strong and courageous, and let the peace of God — which passes our understanding — guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

When Jesus quoted Psalm 22 — He knew how it ended, “future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!” (Psalm 22:30-31).

I hope you enjoyed the fair this week, pray for our country, come to church, and may God bless America … and you!