Month: January 2012

St. Paul’s Chapel was not damaged on September 11, 2001.  Was this a miracle?

Last week I mentioned the book The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn.  www.amazon.com/The+Harbinger He has done a fabulous job of linking historical prophecies to the fates of Israel and the United States in this book and I would like to share another coincidence that makes you really think about the ancient prophets and the meaning of their writings.  The key writing highlighted in the book is Isaiah 9:10.

“The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone;the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”

George Washington inaugural took place in 1789 in New York City, the first capital of the United States.  As we know, our founding fathers were very strong believers in God as many of our foundational documents reference.  Here is the final paragraph of George Washington’s inaugural speech.

“Having thus imparted to you my sentiments as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the benign Parent of the Human Race in humble supplication that, since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquility, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend.”

After the speech, George Washington, along with members of the United States Congress, worshiped at St. Paul’s Chapel on his Inauguration Day, on April 30, 1789.  Washington also attended services at St. Paul’s during the two years New York City was the country’s capital. Above Washington’s pew is an 18th-century oil painting of the Great Seal of the United States; adopted in 1782.

The chapel survived the Great New York City Fire of 1776 when a quarter of New York City (then confined to the lower tip of Manhattan), including Trinity Church, burned following the British capture of the city after the Battle of Long Island during the American Revolutionary War.

The Chapel was turned into a makeshift memorial shrine following the September 11 attacks.  The church survived without even a broken window. Church history declares it was spared by a miracle sycamore on the northwest corner of the property that was hit by debris. The tree’s root has been preserved in a bronze memorial by sculptor Steve Tobin. While the church’s organ was badly damaged by smoke and dirt, the organ has been refurbished and is in use again.

The rear of St. Paul’s Chapel faces Church Street, opposite the east side of the World Trade Center site. After the attack on September 11, 2001, which led to the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, St. Paul’s Chapel served as a place of rest and refuge for recovery workers at the WTC site.

For eight months, hundreds of volunteers worked 12 hour shifts around the clock, serving meals, making beds, counseling and praying with fire fighters, construction workers, police and others. Massage therapists, chiropractors, podiatrists and musicians also tended to their needs.

The fence around the church grounds became the main spot for visitors to place impromptu memorials to the event. After it became filled with flowers, photos, teddy bears, and other paraphernalia, chapel officials decided to erect a number of panels on which visitors could add to the memorial. Estimating that only 15 would be needed in total, they eventually required 400.

So St. Paul’s survives not only the Great New York City fire in 1776 but it survives the devastation of September 11th because the lone sycamore tree protected it.  Coincidence?  What do you think?

Let me know what you think about this blog by commenting below.

Webman