Street Stories - A Ringside Seat To Over 4 Decades Of Taking Jesus To The Streets Of The World

I finally arrived at Abounding Grace Church and went inside. All night prayer vigils were in progress. Scripture reading and songs permeated the air. I sensed there was a desperate, hopeful plea in the prayers being lifted up to the Lord. This was a new challenge. None of us had ever been in this situation before. I found a little secluded corner in the church and laid down to sleep. It was difficult as the weight of the moment and the faces I had seen on dozens of missing person posters played over and over like a movie in my mind. I knew the work ahead of us could only be accomplished as we had the Lord’s presence. The next morning, Pastor Rick came and picked me up in his big black SUV and we headed to Ground Zero. David Meyer, head of Hand of Hope, an outreach of Joyce Meyer Ministries, had just arrived in town. He joined Pastor Rick and me as we headed to Ground Zero. Pastor Rick is a Clergy Liaison for the NYC Police Department. He was the person the police would bring in when someone from the neighborhood had barricaded themselves in a high-rise apartment, threatening to shoot neighbors or himself. In Pastor Rick, the police had a person who served them, and they were comfortable with. He was trusted and respected by the police and the community. Pastor Rick had built relations with both. He became the go-to guy that could help mediate conflicts and serve in emergencies. Because of his relationship with the NYPD, and because we were clergy, we were granted unfettered access to areas around Ground Zero and other parts of the city. Therefore, Pastor Rick took us to the heart of Ground Zero.

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