'Even in the Midst of Such Evil...God Is Still There': Reflections on Finding God After 9/11

The events of 9/11 will forever be etched into our minds and hearts. But there is Hope.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - ISAIAH 41:10 (NIV)

We can all remember where we were, what we were doing and how we immediately felt when we learned that America was suddenly under attack on September 11, 2001.

The events of 9/11 will forever be etched into our minds and hearts. And if we’re being honest, the waves of unimaginable evil that shattered our individual and collective realities that day have never fully receded.

In fact, the remnants of that diabolical event have reverberated throughout the past two decades, manifesting themselves in social, political, cultural and international happenings.

Anniversaries remind us of the images and pain we observed.

For the families and friends of victims, the memories of lost loved ones come flooding back more vividly than on other days.

And the nation as a whole pines for the existence we had before so much innocence and normalcy were shattered.

But despite all of that pain, we must remember some essential truths: Hatred and wickedness always aim to conceal the brightness of the flame of goodness, but true Light can never be hidden, concealed or snuffed out.

This past week, I had the chance to sit down with Shelly Genovese Calhoun, whose life was rocked on 9/11 when her husband, Steve, was killed at the World Trade Center.

"My whole world came crashing down the moment that those towers fell," she told me on an episode of The Pure Flix Podcast, explaining that all of her hopes and dreams felt shattered.

But that wasn’t the end of her story.

Yes, Shelly was in the midst of trauma and left alone to raise a 16-month-old baby. Yes, she had lost her husband — and yes, she had every reason to give up on life.

But she didn’t. Instead, she turned to faith to sustain her.

"I had the hope in Christ and that He was going to help me carry those burdens for me," Shelly told me. "The more that I depended on Him, the more of Him that He showed me."

See, sometimes hope can feel totally lost. We might feel as though we cannot go on. That, unfortunately, is part of our existence as humans. But no matter what happens, scripture offers powerful promises: we can find hope, peace and strength in Jesus.

And that’s the message Shelly is now driving home in sharing her story of finding Light amid the darkness.

"I wanted people to know about God's goodness. God spoke to me that I needed to tell this story," she told me. "Even in the midst of such evil — even the evil that is so prevalent today — God is still there.” (listen above to hear her words)

This is a message we need on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 — and every single day thereafter. Never, ever lose hope. And let’s pray today for our nation, for survivors and for victims’ friends and families.