Two days following the terror attacks of 9/11, rescuers discovered a stunning find on Ground Zero. Many called it “miracle rubble.” They discovered the 20-foot long cross, made of two steel beams that were found in the rubble of the World Trade Center. The cross was nearly straight at the time that they collapsed the North Tower imploded.
The man who was rumored to have discovered the cross was crying for about 20 minutes after his discovery. The rescuers sang and prayed “God Bless America” before going back to work. From that point onward the cross has impacted the lives of a lot of people. The news stories featured firefighters and police officers sculpting the names of their fallen colleagues on the cross as a means to heal their wounds.
One person who was involved in the clean-up process said “The cross proves that faith lives on. God has given His Son, the only Son to all of the world. Jesus Christ gave his life to pay for our iniquities. God hasn’t abandoned us in this awful time.”
Ironworkers constructed a pedestal to support the cross. It was transported using the crane and then placed on top of a high-level walkway over the nearby New York street. The Franciscan priest who led the prayer of dedication for the huge steel beams on the 4th of October 2001 said that this cross represented “the suffering and suffering from Jesus in his Cross as well as the salvation of humanity in general.”
Because of the reconstruction work in the region the cross was moved due to reconstruction, the cross was moved St. Peter’s Church, that is located near to the World Trade Center site. The plaque on its pedestal indicates that it will be displayed inside the WTC Museum, “as a symbol of peace for everyone.”
Someone once said “The crucified Christ is an expression of living that is a way of love confronting all hatred with love (and) every evil thing with goodness.” A English priest, David Watson, described the Cross of Christ, “as an image of violence yet the way to peace, a representation of suffering but also healing’s key the body, a representation of death but also the key to eternal life.”
The terrorist attacks of 9/11 22 years ago, claimed the lives of innocent 2,977 victims as well as hundreds of others whose lives were lost due to the long-term health risks of the cleanup of debris. More than 2,000 years ago Jesus, the perfect, sin-free Jesus suffered a gruesome death on the Cross so that everyone throughout history could have forgiveness.
The story of the cross on Ground Zero reminded me of Jesus His words to everyone who believes in Him. “Take your cross daily and follow Jesus” (Luke 9:23).
This requires that one abandon all self-interest and give up all selfish pursuits and, in God’s grace, be completely conformed to the teachings and example of Jesus Christ. “Christianity is a crucified cross, and the crossing is “I” removed,” author and pastor John Bisagno has written.
Each of us has to answer the question “Is there any cross in my life?” You may think your life is in chaos However, you can go to the cross for forgiveness and hope. A hymn writer once said, “Though millions have come to the cross, there’s still room for one. There’s room on Christ’s cross to welcome you.”
From today onward from now on, you can experience the absolute freedom and forgiveness, which only is derived from Christ.
Jan White has compiled a collection of her columns in her book “Everyday faith for Daily Life.”
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