Marching
forward...
One Army, One Mission,
One Message
M
150
YEARS
37
The War Cry | JULY 2015
at 9/11
Workers
The
I
t has been said that The Salvation Army will be there handing out
cold water at the gates of Hell. In the foxhole hell of World War I,
in the disaster hell of flood and fire, in the tragic ground zero hell
of 9/11, this legend has been lived out.
The 9/11 workers came from across the street
and around the world. Salvation Army officers,
soldiers and volunteers; professors and doctors;
cleaning ladies and students united in their de-
termination to do their part to help.
"Put my name on your list, check my ID, give
me a badge if you must and send me in. My
sleeves are rolled up and I am ready to serve. In
the face of great wrong, I want to be part of an
Army of great goodness."
"Make a sandwich? Serve it with a cup of cold
water? Sort these socks? Right away!"
"Dig through this rubble? Wear this mask?
Hold that person's hand? Listen to her story?
Absolutely!"
"Invent new ways to help? Step into the fray
with no instruction book because we haven't
been here before? Find a way to say yes to the
unusual request for help? Of course!"
"Be the glue that holds the professionals to-
gether--the firemen, the police, the coroners?
Offer them friendship, hope, and humor? Be the
one who prays? With joy!"
"Figure out how to serve limitless healthy
meals around the clock? Find a way to extend
service into the ongoing program that really
knows no end? Do it without becoming discour-
aged and spoiling the loaf we bake? By God's
grace, we will!"
The workers of 9/11 offered confidence, com-
passion, hope and a smile of assurance, saying,
"God is in this place of tragedy, and so are we."
We draw our strength from the Lord. We
hold to the truth of salvation: that God is able
to bring forgiveness and hope to an impossible
situation; that we can start again.
By God's grace may our reality be ever bet-
ter: purer motives, more patience, stronger en-
ergy, deeper love. This is The Salvation Army,
and it is still here. Thank God.
Major Hollie Ruthberg was one of the Salvation Army
officers of the Eastern Territory to lead relief efforts
after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
by
MAJOR HOLLIE RUTHBERG
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