October 17, 2001

For those trapped in the Twin Towers or the Pentagon, that fiery hell must have seemed apocalyptic. In the fleeting moments before they leaped from windows or were crushed under melting I-beams, what passed through their minds? For those who watched in horror, on the streets or on television in their homes and offices, it must have looked as if a mini end-of-the-world Apocalypse had descended.

It’s remarkable that the media and government found the five-page letter from Mohamed Atta to his fellow hijackers remarkable. Attorney General John Ashcroft called the document’s prayers and exhortations to martyrdom “a disturbing and shocking view into the mind-set of these terrorists.” “Chilling,” “eerie” and “haunting,” said Bob Woodward. Like other major news organizations, ABC led its September 28 news show with the story, portraying the letter as a minor revelation, a confirmation that the U.S.

When George called to ask for help with his grandson’s funeral, I didn’t hesitate. I’d do anything for the man. George is a gentle soul, born with an impulse for counting others first. When he’s not helping his wife shuffle through her daily maze of Alzheimer’s, he’s at the hospital, sitting with hurting people for hours on end. I’ve seen his patience. When the words to match the pain aren’t there, he lets the tool of his trade—a small pectoral cross on his tie—do all the talking.

In 1993 John Patton coined the phrase “paradigm shift” to describe a dramatic turn in the practice of pastoral care. Patton pointed out that pastoral care was focusing more and more on social and cultural concerns, moving from a “clinical pastoral paradigm” to one that Patton named “communal-contextual.”

Pastor Jeff Sumner was attending a health screening program led by members of his church when he learned that his blood sugar level was unusually high. Until then, it had not occurred to him that some of the physical changes he was experiencing were symptoms of diabetes. When subsequent testing confirmed that he had type II diabetes, Sumner was able to control the disease with the help of family, parishioners and classes at the hospital.