Millions of people have visited Ground Zero in New York City, and many of them come with questions like, “How could people do such horrible things?” or, “Why is there such evil in the world?”
And inevitably, they ask the question “Where was God, and why didn’t He stop this?” Of all the questions that people have about God, this is probably the biggest.
Ground Zero has come to represent that moment of national anguish, when the world stood watching as our nation was horrified by that attack.
But for a moment, I want you to think of Ground Zero as that moment in your life when you hit the lowest place, when you experienced the deepest anguish you’ve ever experienced.
When that moment comes, what do you do? Where do you turn? Your ground zero can be a stumbling block, or, it can become a stepping stone to finding faith.
When we reach ground zero, we search for answers. We begin to ask questions: Why am I suffering? Why did this happen? Why is my world the way it is? I need an answer!
We think that if we can find an answer, that we also find a solution. Pain forces us to admit that we’re not in control, that we don’t have all the answers and that we can’t fix everything.
God designed this world to lead people to a search for the truth, and the Bible explains why. Here’s what it says:
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17:24-27, NIV)
God did all of this so that we would seek Him, reach out to Him. People have the idea that God abandons us in our pain, but it’s just the opposite.
God doesn’t cause our pain or suffering, but when we’re suffering, when the people we love and care for are suffering, He is present. And He calls to us in the midst of our pain because the reality is, answers can only be found in Him.
Rebecca Alonzo wrote a New York Times best seller titled, “The Devil in Pew Number Seven.” It’s the story of a man entering her home and shooting her parents when she was 7 years old.
That’s a ground zero moment. But, Rebecca didn’t turn away from God. Instead, she turned to Him. She said, “I needed God more than I needed to be mad at Him.” She intuitively knew that God was not the source of her pain, but the healer of it.
She went on to say, “He hasn’t answered all of my questions but He has healed me from the consequences of my pain.”
People are on a journey looking for answers. Maybe you’re on that journey right now. Here’s what you need to know: Jesus is the healer of our pain. Here’s what He said at the beginning of His ministry:
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed;” (Luke 4:18, NKJV)
Jesus came to heal the broken hearted — to heal us in our ground zero moments. I can’t tell you how it works. There is no formula. There is no secret sauce. There is no step A, step B, step C.
All I can tell you is that when you connect with Jesus the healer and you spend time with Him, He knows where you’ve been and He knows your pain and He knows your hurt and He heals the brokenness of your broken heart.
That’s how you find faith at ground zero. I wish there would never be another ground zero moment for any of us, but there will. And when it comes, open your heart and let Jesus begin the healing process.