Billy Graham spoke powerfully on hope, faith and the love of Christ when he addressed the nation from Washington, D.C., after the 9/11 attacks. “My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around us and that as we trust in Him we will know in our hearts that He will never forsake us.”

President and Mrs Bush

I want to say a personal word on behalf
of many people

thank you mister president for calling
this day of prayer and remembrance

we needed it at this time

we come together today to reaffirm our
conviction that God

cares for us whatever our

ethnic religious or political background
may be.

The Bible says that he is the God

of all comfort who comforts us

in our troubles no matter how hard we
try

words simply cannot express the horror

the shock and the revulsion we all feel
over what took place

in this nation on Tuesday morning.
September 11

will go down in our history as a day

to remember. Today we say to those who
masterminded this cruel plot

and to those who carried it out that the
spirit of this nation

will not be defeated by there twisted and
diabolical schemes.

Some day those responsible will be
brought to justice

as President Bush and our congress

have so forcefully stated. But today

we especially come together in this
service

to confess our need of

God. We’ve always needed God

from the very beginning of this nation,
but today we need him especially.

We’re facing a new kind of enemy

were involved in a new kind of warfare
and we need the help of the Spirit of

God.

The Bible words are our hope,

God is our refuge and strength an
ever-present help in

trouble therefore we will not fear though
the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of
the sea but how do we understand

something like this

why does God allow evil like this to
take place

perhaps that is what you are asking now
you may even be angry

at God. I want to assure you that God
understands

these feelings that you may have. We’ve
seen so much on our television

or heard on our radio, stories

that bring tears to eyes and make us all
feel a sense of anger

but God can be trusted

even when life seems at its darkest

but what are some of the lessons we can learn

first we are reminded of the mystery and
reality of evil

I’ve been asked hundreds of times in my
life

why God allows tragedy and suffering I have to confess

that I really do not know the answer
totally

even to my own satisfaction I have to
accept by

faith that God is sovereign and he’s a God
of love and mercy

and compassion in the midst of suffering

the Bible says that God is not

the author of evil it speaks of evil

as a mystery, in 1 Thessalonians 2: 7

it talks about the mystery of iniquity

the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah said

the heart is deceitful above all things

and beyond cure, who can understand it.

He asked that question who can understand it, and that’s one reason

we each need God in our lives the lesson
at this event is not only about the

mystery

of iniquity and evil but secondly its a

lesson about our need for each other. What an example

New York and Washington have been to the World

these past few days none of us will ever
forget the pictures of our courageous

firefighters and police

many of whom have lost friends and
colleagues

or the hundreds of people attending or
standing

patiently in line to donate blood

a tragedy like this could have torn

our country apart but instead

it has united us and we’ve become a family

so those perpetrators who took this on
to tear us apart

has worked the other way its backlash

its backfired we’re more united than
ever before

I think this was exemplified in a very
moving way

when the members of our congress stood
shoulder to shoulder the other day

and saying God Bless America

Finally, difficult as it may be for us to see
right now

this event can give a message of hope

hope for the present and hope for the
future

yes there is hope this hope for the
present

because I believe the stage has already
been set

for a new spirit in our nation. One of the
things we desperately need

is a spiritual renewal in this country

we need a spiritual revival in america

and God has told us in his word time
after time

that we are to repent of our sins and
return to him

and He will bless us and new way

but there’s also hope for the future

because of God’s promises

as a Christian I have hope

not just for this life but for heaven

and the life to come in many of those
people

who died this past week are in heaven
right now

and they wouldn’t want to come back, its
so glorious and so wonderful

and that’s the hope for all of us who
put out faith in God

I pray that you will have this hope in
your heart

this event reminds us of the brevity

and the uncertainty of life we never
know when we too will be called

into eternity

I doubt if even one of those people who
got on those planes

or walked into the World Trade Center or
the pentagon last Tuesday morning

thought it would be the last day of
their lives

they didn’t the didn’t occur to them and
that’s why each of us

needs to face our own spiritual needs
and commit ourselves to God

and his will now

here in this majestic National Cathedral

we see all around us symbols

of the Cross for the Christian I’m
speaking for the Christian now,

the cross tells us that God understands
our sin

and our suffering for he took upon
himself

in the person of Jesus Christ our sins

and our suffering and from the cross

God declares I love you I know the
heartaches and the sorrows and the pains that

you feel

but I love you the story does not end
with the cross

for Easter points us beyond the tragedy
of the Cross

to the empty tomb it tells us that there
is hope for eternal life

for Christ has conquered evil and death
and hell

yes there’s hope

I’ve become an old man now and I’ve preached all over the world

and the older I get the more I cling to
that

hope that I started with many years ago

and began proclaimed in many languages

too many parts of the world several
years ago

at the National Prayer Breakfast here in
washington ambassador Andrew Young

who had just gone through the tragic death
of his wife

closed his talk with a quote from the
old hymn

how firm a foundation

we all watched in horror

as planes crashed into the

the steel and glass of the world trade
center

those majestic towers built on solid
foundations were examples

of the prosperity and creativity

of America when damaged

those buildings eventually plummeted to
the ground

imploding it upon themselves

yet underneath the debris is a
foundation

that was not destroyed therein lies the
truth to that old

hymn that Andrew Young quoted

how firm a foundation yes

our nation has been attacked, buildings
destroyed lives lost

but now we have a choice whether to
implode

and disintegrate emotionally and
spiritually

as a people and a nation

or whether we choose to become

stronger through all of the struggle

to rebuild on a solid foundation

and I believe that were in the process
starting to rebuild

on that foundation. That foundation is our trust in God

that’s what the service is all about and
in that faith

we have the strength to endure something
is difficult and horrendous

that’s what we’ve experienced this week

this has been a terrible week

with many tears

but also its been a week of great faith

churches all across the country have
called prayer meetings

and today as a day but they’re
celebrating not only in this country

but in many parts of the world and the
words about familiar hymn

that Andrew Young quoted it says fear not

for I am with thee, oh be not dismayed for I am thy God

and will give thee aid, I’ll strengthen thee

help thee and calls thee to stand upon my
righteous

on thy righteous omnipotent hand my pray
today is

that we will feel the loving arms of God

wrapped around us and we’ll know in our
hearts

they will never forsake us as we trust in
Him

we also know that God is going to

give wisdom and courage and strength

to the president and those around him

and this is going to be a day that we
will remember

as a day of victory

may God bless you all