A Visual Essay: Remembering 9/11

On Friday, September 11, which is now Patriot Day, we remember the 25th anniversary of 9/11. What seems to be a halo in the sky is actually a photo I took on that horrendous morning when all aircraft in the skies were ordered to turn around and land. That morning would change New York City, Pennsylvania, and DC–as terrorists coordinated planes in these three areas to bring massive destruction.

It was one of those moments we remember exactly what we were doing that morning. My kids were at school, and my husband, Bill, called me from work to turn on the TV. The first strike on the World Trade Center building seemed like a catastrophic accident–the second strike on the second World Trade Center building solemnly confirmed this was no accident. 9/11 became a national 9-1-1 emergency.

Many lost their lives. Many gave their lives. It was beyond words. Our nation was shaken, fearful, but not destroyed. Our country came together. I remember a great sense of patriotism was rekindled amidst the great terror and loss. We huddled together.

For myself, like many, I thought and prayed, “What can I do?” I remember distinctly, while walking in my garage, God saying, “Put together a book of verses that will comfort people.”

As we approached the first anniversary of 9/11, I shared with my pastor about putting together a remembrance service. He said, “Six weeks is just about enough time to do this.” It was a rough battle, but it came together well. God provided verses with photography from Time Magazine (used with permission for the one-time AV presentation use). We sang I the Lord of Sea and Sky with a photo of New York City with smoke on its skyline in the distance, surrounded by the waters. I chose this because of the lines “I have heard my people cry…I have borne my people’s pain, I have wept for love of them…I will tend the poor and lame.

“Walking through Tragedy” became “Comfort My People” over the years

I felt such a strong sense of God’s divine hand in this that the six-week remembrance service of “Walking through Tragedy” became “Comfort My People” over the years. The books are a collection of Scripture interwoven with photography. Verses in the Bible are interwoven with a photo to bring greater depth and meaning, showing the cohesiveness of the Bible. I have found God’s Word to be profound, deep, and rich. Walking through Scripture™ is the name that inspired “Bringing comfort, hope and life through the beauty of God’s Word” of the work God gifted me with.

Last weekend God led me, once again, to do a 9/11 Remembrance / Ministry Spotlight at my church. Sharing the above 25th anniversary 9-11 remembrances, I also held up a gold-cast leaf I had purchased at the 9/11 Memorial gift shop when we visited in 2013. It is a swamp white oak leaf, and there are over 400 swamp white oak trees in the 9/11 Memorial plaza area. The swamp white oak was chosen for the site “due to its durability and vibrant leaf color. The Memorial grounds were designed to create a cathedral-like effect for visitors to walk under the cathedral of branches.
https://www.911memorial.org/marking-25th-anniversary

I also shared a photo I took in 2003, with golden leaves in the fall, suspended on the blue waters. The waters are actually a murky brown, but in this photo the blue skies are reflected on the waters. People think this photo is upside down, but it is a reflection.

September 11th, our world did turn upside down. But “…though the earth give way, and the mountains [buildings] fall…God is within her, she will ot fall; God will help her at the break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall.” But “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, The LORD Almighty is with us.” “If God is with us, who can be against us.” Adapted from Psalm 46:1-7 and Romans 8:31. Much depth is contained in both of these chapters.

In addition, I have always been intrigued by the verse, “And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” from Revelation 22:2. Without fully comprehending the full meaning, it does speak of the healing of the nations. A similar verse is found in the Old Testament in Ezekiel 47:12 referencing leaves that will not wither, but will bear fruit because the waters from the sanctuary flow to them…again with healing.

There is also a beautiful verse from Psalm 84 that is a beautiful prayer of the psalmist referencing a pilgrimage journey of a valley of tears, with imagery of springs, autumn rains and pools of blessings.

While these verses have historical and prophetic aspects, I tied them together aesthetically– as they seemed interwoven with the golden leaves, on the waters with the reflection of blue skies. In addition, they were all connected with cross-reference notations in my NIV Scofield Study Bible.

These verses were put together in a ministry card that was passed out to our congregation for the sharing of the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

In addition, there are several verses in Psalm 1:3 and Jeremiah 17:8 that reference a tree planted by streams of waters, bearing fruit, trusting and being confident in the LORD.

I do see and find God in the everyday places of the sky, fields, waters, and trees–where I have lived for 26 years.

God did plant me by the Cedar Creek in De Soto, as I reluctantly came to Kansas in 1999. I do see and find God in the everyday places of the sky, fields, waters, and trees–where I have lived for 26 years.

I’ve seen God bring Comfort My People to many places and people, providing printers and funding as this lifelong project from God has been refined and expanded.

Through the years Comfort My People has gone far and wide.  My neighbor, Mike, also a talented artist, had a Navy comrade who was the uncle to one of the teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary. He was instrumental in getting books distributed there.

In Moore, Oklahoma, when I visited my daughter in Oklahoma City, I was determined to go help pick up rubble. That was (sigh), so beyond words. I used much discernment in passing out a few Comfort booklets as I listened to people’s stories.

Through a former church member, the book was given to a daughter of her friend, who read the book to her dying mother. Later, the daughter’s husband, an experienced climber, tragically fell from Yosemite. She wanted everyone in their church of 2,000 to have a copy of Comfort My People.

And last year, the Pacific Southwest Conference of my denomination passed out 100 copies to those in California who suffered from the devastating fires last year.

Many times I have prayed with or requested prayer at my church for these Comfort My People books that were sent.

On a smaller scale, the book sits on many nightstands of individuals who are working through their own journeys of grief. Many have let me know they have received comfort through these books. They are in a folder of encouragement that I have collected through the years.

I have found Comfort My People easily brings God’s Word to people, which has been available at many of my juried art shows. In recent years, a page “Eternal” was added towards the back of the book to share the gospel in recent years.

The printing and distribution of Comfort My People are funded through my artwork, calendars and purchased Comfort books–which is the ministry side of RMB Prints & Design, LLC.

While I know and recognize I am one individual, I try to be sensitive to God’s prompting.

We are all called to bring God’s Word to people to bring comfort, hope and Life. Look where you can encourage, and bring hope and share the Life, eternal Life with those God puts in your path.

–Rose M. Burgweger, writer and designer

RMB Prints & Design, LLC / Walking through Scripture

rmbprints.com / walkingthroughscripture.com

https://www.911memorial.org/marking-25th-anniversary

The original canvas photo, copies of the Comfort Book, and gold leaf were displayed in the foyer of my church last Sunday. I spray-painted pressed gold leaves for people to take, along with a ministry card, to remember 9-11. Feel free to reprint and distribute the ministry card, along with your own gold leaves to remember.