Reflections on a visit to Ground Zero

          I feel that it is a good thing that we are helping in the preparation of the care packages for the servicemen, as part of this year's Advent Event. This past weekend, I had a strong understanding for what these men and women are defending.

          I was visiting New York City and some of the people on our tour bus wanted to go to Ground Zero - I really hadn't wanted to see it. It rather bothered me. I felt like we were driving to a mass gravesite.

          When we got there, I got off the bus with the others. I felt that the experience really made me realize something. The first thing I saw was a cross. The cross stood way above the large hole in the ground where the World Trade Center towers stood. This cross was formed from the metal girders and beams of the former World Trade Center, it was pulled from the rubble. Next to this cross were men putting up a Christmas tree. A street person was standing outside of the fenced area playing the Star Spangled banner on his flute, and in the background was a billboard with a poster of the American flag shaped like a heart and the Statue of Liberty. It said, "The human spirit is not measured by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart."

          Maybe others have seen this before, but I had not. It was truly touching and I was glad in the end that I had gone. It gave a special meaning to me of why we are helping with the care packages.

Sue Channell
BPC Member and Deacon