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Dear friends in Christ,

"Why are you here, and how is this helpful?" I asked the young Oklahoma
woman in the back of the Denver U.S. District courtroom yesterday.  With
tears welling in her eyes, she opened her purse and removed a small brass
frame that held two photos of a bright-eyed little girl dressed in a frilly
pink dress.  "I'm here for her, my sister's daughter.  She--a
four-year-old--was visiting the Social Security Office with her
grandparents--my parents--that morning when the bomb exploded.  I'm here
for her and for my sister and for myself, trying to find some answers, some
reasons, some justice, some forgiveness in my heart."

You, my brothers and sisters, were there with me, as our Lutheran Church
continues reaching out to the families of the victims and survivors of the
1995 Oklahoma City bombing.  Immediately after that bombing, Lutheran
Disaster Response was present and ministering through Lutheran Social
Services of Kansas--Oklahoma.  Counseling with survivors and caregivers
still continues, several years later.

We are working in Denver through Lutheran Family Services of Colorado.
Yesterday I took part in what LDR and LFS do every day, as part of an
interfaith coalition.  At 5:45 a.m., a small number of volunteers from area
congregations and nearby offices gathered inside the Federal Courthouse
entrance to serve as "line-holders," waiting on line so the family members
who come to Denver are assured a seat at the trial.  At 7:30 we received
court passes, and over the next half-hour we were introduced to those
family members. "Thank you so much," said the person to whom I handed my
pass. "This means more to me than you can ever imagine."

At Holy Ghost Roman Catholic Church one block from the courthouse a "Safe
Haven" has been established for these families.  Jan Perino, an LFS staff
member, serves as the LDR liaison to this coalition ministry.  Among other
responsibilities, Jan seeks volunteers from area congregations to prepare
and serve breakfast and lunch, Monday through Friday.  Over 250 Denver-area
pastors, mental health workers, and victims' advocates have been trained by
Heartland Ministries of Oklahoma City, and a pastor/chaplain and advocate
are scheduled to be present with the families every day at each meal.  Ann
Rogers, another volunteer, seeks line-holders, not easy to find for the
cold dark Denver mornings.

I spoke with many of the family members, at the line, during court sessions
breaks, over lunch at "Safe Haven."  Although the bombing took place in
1995, the bitter memories, the sense of loss, the heart-braking wounds are
still a present reality in the lives of people.  Again and again they
expressed thanks and appreciation for this ministry of support and love.

We are in the Advent season, a time of hopeful expectation for the
fulfillment of God's purposes.  The Prayer of the Day this Sunday includes
the words, "By his coming give us strength in our conflicts and shed light
on our path through the darkness of this world."  The "Safe Haven" ministry
is one way God is able to shed light on paths that have been darkened by
the loss of husbands and wives, by the loss of parents and children, by the
loss of little girls in frilly pink dresses.  As we prepare for the coming
Christ, let us offer a special prayer for all the families who endure the
grinding reality of these daily sessions; and a prayer of thanks for the
volunteers, the agency staff, and all the people of God who are reaching
out to them.

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on Fri, Dec  5, 1997, at 12:19 am)
Associate Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response
Internet address: [log in to unmask]
For more information, click on our web site:  www.elca.org/dcs/disaster