Children deal with Sept. 11 events
The day after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America, leaders
at Immanuel Baptist Church in Hammond, noticed something about their children.
Children deal with Sept. 11 events
The day after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America, leaders
at Immanuel Baptist Church in Hammond, noticed something about their children.
“Our children were quite disturbed by the events of the
previous day,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Immanuel childrens
choir. “Some voiced concern that no one seemed to want to talk to them
about what had happened. Their teachers were crying and different
at school, according to several, but nothing specific was shared with the children.”
Despite talking with parents, many of the children remained
frightened and confused, Johnson says.
“It became clear that we, as their Christian leaders,
would also need to address the issues,” she explains.
During the next four weeks, leaders devoted a portion of choir
and missions time for activities designed to allow children to express themselves
about the events of Sept. 11.
They also sought to remind children of the power of Gods
presence in their lives, Johnson relates.
To those ends, a prayer wall was established, with the theme
of “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
A replica of the flag was created and placed on the wall. A
Christian poem was framed and hung.
Meanwhile, leaders were recording hours of conversations with
the children, talking about events and their sense of sadness and grief. The
conversations were transcribed and selections were printed and mounted on the
prayer wall.
“Firemen and police and volunteers model after Jesus,”
11-year-old Ethan Hill told church leaders. “They will never leave nor
forsake their brothers.”
Meanwhile, 9-year-old Courtney Kinnison added, “The best
thing that could happen from this is that more people are believing in God.”
A session also was spent to allow the children to create pictures
that expressed their thoughts and feelings, Johnson says. “How absolutely
incredible and original their artwork was – from one of utter carnage,
entitled Hells Fault, to another with a dialogue between God
and satan in planes aboves the Twin Towers to another with God looking at the
devastation and crying dark tears of desolation.”
Church leaders also decided to use the wall to honor those
in the immediate and extended church family who are serving in the United States
military or in emergency and protections occupations. Photographs and service
information about those persons were placed on the wall as well.
Finally, church leaders spoke to the children about their young
counterparts in Afghanistan.
“Our children were afraid for them, and several voiced
aloud that they wished they could just talk to those other children so
far away to tell them that Jesus would keep them safe, ” Johnson
explains.
Thus, a final component of the prayer wall was added to display
a personal letter from each church child to an Afghan counterpart. “Heart-rending
were the words of the children,” Johnson recounts. “How innocent their
love for their fellow- man. How child-like their faith in communicating, boldly
and certainly, their assurances that God would never leave nor forsake the children
of Afghanistan.”
The prayer wall was completed in times for the churchs
19th anniversary and served as a church-wide tribute to the Christian spirit
and the nation, Johnson concludes.
“Bits and pieces of construction paper, markers, photographs and glue
… ordinary items, which, when placed in Gods hand, conveyed a supernatural
message – that our God is a God of comfort, and he will never leave nor
forsake us.”