[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17180]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 PRAYER FOR WORLD TRADE CENTER DISASTER

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                          HON. LAMAR S. SMITH

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 14, 2001

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the following prayer is from the 
website spirituality.com. It can inspire us all.

         World Trade Center Disaster: My Prayer for My Brother

                          (By Laura Matthews)

     At the moment I write this, I've just heard that one of the 
         World Trade Center buildings has collapsed. My brother 
         works in that building, and there's been no word. I've 
         been in touch with my family around the country, and 
         we're all praying. This is my prayer for my brother.
     Where can my heart go when there is no news, and perhaps no 
         hope? I must go to the one almighty God. I must know His 
         almighty presence.
     I dig deep into what I know to be true. There is only one 
         God, divine Life, holy Love. The God that my brother 
         loves and serves is the God that connects us all--
         terrorist and victim alike. My thought now is echoing 
         with God, that oneness that fills all space, in offices, 
         stairwells, plazas, airplanes. I refuse to conceive of 
         any space that is not filled with God. I place my brother 
         in that space, wholeheartedly. He can't leave that space, 
         it surrounds him and upholds him and guides him.
     I see my brother continuing to walk through life, as he has 
         every day until now and will forever, with the glory of 
         God shining through him. I'm not seeing his life as 
         something that can end. I'm seeing it as eternal, as 
         full, complete, ideal. I'm clinging to this, because the 
         thought that there may be death to deal with in my 
         family's future cannot be the final word. The final word 
         must be Life. It must be God.
     God is there, in New York, in Jerusalem, in Washington, in 
         Baghdad. God is here with me in Boston. It's not a bunch 
         of gods scattered all about, but the one God, literally 
         filling all space, blanketing all creation. I touch that 
         one God in thought and I'm touching all creation. And 
         that God is holding my brother close, with all the 
         others--all of them.
     It's not only my brother or our family. It's entire 
         buildings, entire cities, entire countries. I'm putting 
         it all in the divine space, everyone, every action, every 
         lifespan. That space contains nothing but Love and glory. 
         The pain, fear and confusion are nothing within that holy 
         place.
     My brother and all the people involved are in that holy 
         place. I am holding them there in thought. It is the 
         structure of Love that surrounds them, and it cannot be 
         destroyed.
     (Later the author got word that her brother was five minutes 
         away from his office when the building was hit.)

         

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