By the Rev. Dr. Ed Hird

9/11 strikes home for me, because my parents were having lunch on top of the World Trade Tower just two days before the planes struck.

In reflecting on 9/11,  I was struck by the appropriateness of the bugle song Taps.

“Day is done, gone the sun

From the lake, from the hills, from the sky

All is well, safely rest;

God is nigh.”

What gives us hope as we remember the heartache of 9/11?  Our past is gone, never to be retrieved again, except in our memories.  But we can safely rest, for God is nigh.  In the uncertainty of the unfolding future, we can say ‘It is well with my soul’ for God is nigh.  In the pain of grief, tragedy, and unexpected suffering, we can say that there is hope, because God is nigh.

The bugle call was written in 1862 by the Union Army Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield, an American Civil War general.

Taps also replaced “Tattoo”, the French bugle call for “lights out.” Within months, Taps was used by both Union and Confederate forces.

The Taps bugler continues:

“Then goodnight, peaceful night;

Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.

God is near, do not fear,

Friend, goodnight.

Taps is a very sad bugle song. Few songs touch our hearts more deeply. That is why it is so appropriate at military funerals.  At the 1999 Taps Arlington Ceremony, Chaplain Colonel Brogan said the following:

“Lord of our lives, our hope in death, we cannot listen to Taps without our souls stirring.  Its plaintive notes are a prayer in music–of hope, of peace, of grief, of rest…  Prepare us too, Lord, for our final bugle call when you summon us home!  When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and death will be no more.”

At the heart of Taps is an assurance that the light of the dawn will shine brightly.  Light is always stronger than darkness.  Love is stronger than hate.  Life is stronger than death.

Taps reminds us that there is life after death.  Sometimes we experience smaller deaths like the death of a job, a marriage, or a relationship. Other times we experience the finality of a loved one’s funeral.  Taps reminds us that even in great pain and tragedy like 9/11, “God is near, do not fear’.

 Life can be very hard, sometimes heart-breaking.  May you find great comfort that there is life after every kind of death.  Jesus on the cross assured that.  God is near.

The Rev. Dr. Ed Hird, BSW, MDiv, DMin

– previously published in the North Shore News/Deep Cove Crier

-award-winning author of the book Battle for the Soul of Canada

P. S. Click this Amazon link to view for free the first two chapters of our new novel Blue Sky.

“I’m afraid there’s been an accident…”

Sandy Brown and her family have just moved to Spokane, Washington where her husband, Scott, is pastoring a new church. With a fresh start, Sandy is determined to devote more time to her four children. But, within weeks of settling in their new life, the Brown family is plunged into turmoil.

Sandy receives shocking news that her children aren’t safe, which brings back haunting memories of the trauma she experienced as a girl. Then, the unthinkable happens…

A brutal attack puts Sandy on the brink of losing everything she’s loved. Her faith in God and the family she cherishes are pushed to the ultimate limit.

Is healing possible when so many loved ones are hurt? Are miracles really possible through the power of prayer? Can life return to the way it was before?

Blue Sky reveals how a mother’s most basic instinct isn’t for survival… but for family.

If you’re a fan of Karen Kingsbury, then you’ll love Blue Sky. Get your copy today on paperback or  kindle.

-Click to check out our marriage book For Better For Worse: discovering the keys to a lasting relationship on Amazon. You can even read the first two chapters for free to see if the book speaks to you.

-The sequel book Restoring Health: body, mind and spirit is available online with Amazon.com in both paperback and ebook form.  Dr. JI Packer wrote the foreword, saying “I heartily commend what he has written.” The book focuses on strengthening a new generation of healthy leaders. Drawing on examples from Titus’ healthy leadership in the pirate island of Crete, it shows how we can embrace a holistically healthy life.

In Canada, Amazon.ca has the book available in paperback and ebook. It is also posted on Amazon UK (paperback and ebook), Amazon France (paperback and ebook), and Amazon Germany (paperback and ebook).

Restoring Health is also available online on Barnes and Noble in both paperback and Nook/ebook form.  Nook gives a sample of the book to read online.

Indigo also offers the paperback and the Kobo ebook version.  You can also obtain it through ITunes as an IBook.

To receive a signed copy within North America, just etransfer at ed_hird@telus.net, giving your address. Cheques are also acceptable.

-Click to purchase the Companion Bible Study by Jan Cox (for the Battle of the Soul of Canada) in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca 

Indigo also offers the paperback and the Kobo ebook version.  You can also obtain it through ITunes as an IBook.

-Click to purchase the Companion Bible Study by Jan Cox (for the Battle of the Soul of Canada) in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca