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Twenty-year old Anthony worked at the train station's car service company, ferrying commuters to and from their homes. The pay was decent and the tips were good, enough to help pay his way at the local community college. He especially enjoyed getting to know the clients, who likewise enjoyed his eager attitude and keen interest in the professional world.

The morning of September 11th was a beautiful day, the hint of fall adding to the sunshine and blue skies, but the mood - along with the skies - quickly became dark, as word of the terrorist attacks began pouring in. Sirens pierced the air, calling in all of the volunteer firefighters. Police cars under full lights screamed toward the City, people huddled around every available television and radio for information about what was happening. Phone lines were down and the trains had stopped running, and as the day wore on, the news only got worse, as the reality of the brutality of what happened started to sink in. Late in the afternoon, the trains began running again from the City to the suburbs, and wave after wave of people covered in white soot emerged onto the train platform, plodding toward the car service office, wanting to go home.

The air was eerily silent as if God himself were in shock. Anthony and the other drivers hurriedly took as many people home as they could, dreamlike, silently navigating the familiar roads, and by late evening Anthony realized he had not seen many of his regulars: Men and women who had shared with him, encouraged him, taken the time to get to know him.

Days turned into weeks. The sight of government cars in the train station's parking lot - with workers taking down license plate numbers of unclaimed vehicles - lessened, as the list of the victims' names grew. Witness to the devastating impact of the terror firsthand, Anthony asked, "Where was God on September 11th? And how could he let this happen? Why didn't he stop it? And if good truly does triumph over evil, how could such evil seem to win?"

The answer lay not in the act, but in the response. God was with those who bravely faced the end of their physical life, by removing them before they felt the flame, the crush, the pavement. He was found in the volunteers who gave their time and their heart, their sweat, to help, with no thought of personal risk or gain. He was at the core of the patriotism that bound everyone together through the sense of brotherhood, instead of allowing the evil to tear the fabric of this nation apart.

Sometimes in life, the best that can come from a devastating situation is found in the response. We discover how strong we are, how brave we are, how much we care, how much we love. We see very clearly what's important and - more to the point - what is not. We learn very quickly that no matter what, we are given what we need when we need it through the love that connects each of us to one another; a love and spirit that is so vast, nothing - and no one - can break it. It is the God Light within all of us.

And that, Anthony discovered, is where God was on September 11, 2001.