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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him . . .”

• Romans 8:28 

It was sixteen years ago — September 11, 2001 — 9/11 as we refer to it.  Most of us, I imagine, who were beyond toddler age at the time remember vividly exactly where we were at the exact moment we became aware of the attack on the World Trade Center towers. Some have referred to that event as our generation’s Pearl Harbor, and have compared the firemen and other heroic first responders to those brave souls who sacrificed their lives on the beaches of Normandy on D-day.

I was managing a regional bond trading operation for a major Wall Street investment firm at the time, with our offices located on the forty-fourth floor of a downtown Dallas skyscraper.  In our large trading room was a television situated at one end as a financial news source, which we rarely watched.  But being closely linked with our New York headquarters, we were alerted right away about a plane crashing into one of the towers, which caused us all to migrate toward the TV.  Moments later we stared slack-jawed as we witnessed the second airliner slam head on into the other tower.

These were evil acts we had just witnessed, visited upon thousands of innocent victims, our fellow citizens, in our own country, on our own soil, specifically in New York and Washington, D.C. . . . Then, before we could even begin to process what we had seen, the most amazing thing began to occur, good overtaking evil.  In a flash it seemed, the courageous firemen and other emergency responders arrived — incredible heroes who literally saved thousands of lives at the risk, and losses of their own.  Then others came, and more began to pitch in from all over, however they could.  The goodness of people rose to the occasion.  Thousands of stories have emerged since then in testimony to this goodness.  We’ve all heard many of them, and will hear more for years to come.

It has always been my belief that in the long-run, goodness wins out over evil, that love wins out over hate.  We are God’s children after all, and because of that, He works in all things for our good.  This does not mean that all that happens is good, for evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to redeem every circumstance for our long-range good.  9/11 bore witness to that, the goodness of God and His people prevailing over evil.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God . . .”  – Ephesians 2:8 

“Why Me Lord?” a song you may recall written and recorded by country singer Kris Kristoferson was quite a hit several of years ago.  The lyrics start off like this: “Why me Lord? / What have I ever done / to deserve even one / of the pleasures I’ve known. / Tell me Lord / What did I ever do / that was worth lovin’ you / for the kindness you’ve shown.”  That thought has crossed my mind a lot this past week.

You see, we lived in Houston once upon a time.  It was thirty years ago and we were only there a couple of years.  But things could have turned out different, we could have stayed.  And what if we had?  Would we be displaced like thousands of others along the Texas coast, our home destroyed by the devastating flood waters, losing everything we owned?  Why was my family spared while thousands — millions probably — of our neighbors to the south are left to suffer?  Why me Lord?

“Your tests all look great,” the doctor informed me this past week.  “You’re in great shape,” she continued, “unlike all the other patients I’ve seen today.”  Being her last patient that day caused me to wonder how many others were ahead of me who were not so lucky?  Why am I blessed with good health, and they are not?  Why me Lord?

As we celebrate our wedding anniversary this weekend I’ve been taking stock of things, reflecting on my life.  September 4, 1971, forty-six years ago, I thought was the best day of my life — that is, until I began to realize that was just the beginning, that every day since has been even better.  I happen to be married to the most incredible woman, with whom together we raised two fine sons, who along with their amazing wives have gifted us with five beautiful granddaughters.  How is it I have been so blessed with such a wonderful family?  Why me Lord?

There’s just one answer, of course, and it is not my doing.  It can only be the gift of God’s amazing grace.  So, as Kristoferson’s song concludes, “Try me Lord / if you think there’s a way / I can try to repay / all I’ve taken from you. / Maybe Lord / I can show someone else / what I’ve been through myself / on my way back to you.”  Amen!

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”  – Philippians 2:3 

I find it puzzling that humility is such an overlooked quality when choosing people for leadership roles.  Perhaps it’s because humble people, who otherwise may be quite capable, are mistakenly perceived as lacking such characteristics as conviction, courage, and self-confidence — in other words thought of as weak.  Not necessarily so.

One of the most humble people I ever met was a guy named Arthur Hernandez.  We were from neighboring small West Texas towns, and never got to know each other all that well except for the rare occasions our respective church youth groups got together for some event.  Where I did get to know Arthur was competing in various sports in junior high school.  What a bruiser he was on the football field, knocking me on my fanny more times than I can count.  But that’s also where I experienced his humility; for no sooner would I hit the ground than I would see his hand extended to help me up, make sure I was okay, then slap me on the rear with a kind word of encouragement.  As captain of his team Arthur never hesitated to challenge a referee’s call if in question, but in the most polite manner you can imagine, using words like “sir”, “please”, and “thank you”.  And at the end of the game, win or lose, guess who was leading the charge to shake hands with the opposition?  Courageous, capable, self-confident, decisive, yet humble — what an outstanding leader he was!

In his book, Give and Take, Wharton Business School professor Adam Grant sets out to explore how a person’s intentions impact his or her long-term success.  Through his research he identifies three categories of people:  Givers, those who are genuinely generous in their behavior; Takers, those who tend to be in it for themselves; and Matchers, those who often behave like givers but with a quid pro quo expectation.  What he concludes is that while takers tend to jump ahead early on, and matchers know how to play the game, in the long run it is the givers who tend to rise to the top.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,” says the Apostle Paul, “but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”  That’s what I’ll never forget about Arthur Hernandez from junior high school, who I have no doubt has risen to the top.

“I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.”  – Ecclesiastes 3:12

“In a way, the world is a great liar.  It shows you it worships and admires money, but at the end of the day it doesn’t.  It says it adores fame and celebrity, but it doesn’t, not really.  The world admires, and wants to hold on to, and not lose, goodness.  It admires virtue.  At the end it gives its greatest tributes to generosity, honesty, courage, mercy, talents well used, talents that, brought into the world, make it better.  That’s what it really admires.  That’s what we talk about in eulogies, because that’s what’s important.”

Reading that quote stopped me dead in my tracks, causing me to go back and read it again, then again and again, until I became blinded by the tears in my eyes.  It is from a book I am currently reading, The Time of our Lives, by journalist Peggy Noonan.  But something about that one passage jumped off the page at me, stirring my soul.

It may have had something to do with the moment of time I was in.  Ironically, I came across the book while browsing through a bookstore with my oldest granddaughter, Madeline, who happens to love books.  The two of us were hanging out together awaiting the birth of her new baby sister, Eliana, who would arrive later the following day.  Not long after that I would be holding that gorgeous tiny infant in my arms.

These back-to-back encounters, first with the oldest then the youngest — the symbolic bookends among my five grandchildren — caused me to consider what it is I hope to leave behind, what would be the most meaningful legacy to my grandchildren.  (Grandparents think about things like that.)  And that quote pretty much summed it up, perhaps why it struck me with such deep emotion: goodness and virtue — “generosity, honesty, courage, mercy, talents well used, talents that, brought into the world, make it better.”

King Solomon had it all — wealth, fame, wisdom, and worldly accomplishments.  Yet in the Book of Ecclesiastes, his brilliant essay about life, he declares it all meaningless, except for this: “I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.”  Goodness and virtue — if I can teach that to my grandchildren, it would be the greatest legacy I could ever leave them — “because that’s what’s important.”

“. . . we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”  – Romans 5:3-5 

Rabbi Harold Kushner in his marvelous book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, tells the story about a couple who, in grieving the tragic loss of their teenage daughter, confessed to him that they had neglected to fast during Yom Kipper, as if their failure to observe religious custom had somehow precipitated their daughter’s untimely and unexpected death.  They needed an answer, and having none, blaming themselves provided a handy explanation.  As it turned out the couple’s otherwise healthy daughter had suffered from the sudden rupture of a blood vessel, something no one would have ever suspected or detected.  Yet, understandably the couple was desperate for an answer, and the answer that was in reach was to blame themselves.

We don’t do well with unanswered questions, and human nature desires there be logical explanations for everything.  The good news is that most of the knowledge we have obtained thus far — from scientific discovery to the development and advancement of such disciplines as mathematics, engineering, philosophy, psychology, theology, art, music, and the study of history — is the result of our high sense of intellectual curiosity and desire for explanations. The bad news is that it is also the reason we have such a tendency to place blame when things go awry — blaming others, ourselves, even God.

On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three minutes after launch, the whole world watched as the space shuttle Challenger broke apart killing all seven crew members.  What went wrong and whose fault was it, we all asked?  Extensive investigation eventually proved that an O-ring seal, which was not designed to fly under unusually cold conditions, failed at liftoff.  Who would have known?  Yet tragic as it was, our intellectual curiosity from the Challenger incident has led to great advancements in space travel.

Knowledge is never perfect or complete.  So, there will always be unanswered questions we must suffer.  But these unanswered questions are why need hope; for it is hope that inspires the human spirit.  Therefore, “. . . we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us . . .”