to its downtown location only a few months earlier, primarily for its proximity to the World Trade Center. Every major subway and rail stop runs through the area, the focal point for nearly a million workers who fill the skyscrapers of our beloved city. Now our counseling offices have a new meaning and purpose. Some would call it chance, but we believe we are here by divine appointment.

I still stand in awe at the level of outside help and volunteer assistance that have flooded our city in the weeks since. The diversity of people united by the simple desire to help fellow humans has touched even the most staid New Yorker. But the task at hand will not be accomplished in just a few weeks or months; rather it will be measured in years. The trauma and psychological impact foisted upon the innocent workers and residents of downtown Manhattan are merely the seeds of future anxiety and fear. Those of us at the New York Christian Counseling Center and hundreds of other dedicated professionals will long be occupied helping shattered people regain some sense of stability in a very unstable environment.

Coping with crisis

In his book Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective, Aaron Beck, M.D., defines

vulnerability as a “person’s perception of himself as subject to internal or external dangers over which his or her control is lacking or is insufficient to afford him a sense of safety” (page 67). At the center of coping with crisis is always this sense of vulnerability. One way to understand the impact of crisis is to view it as an inverted triangle. In normal daily living we face a multitude of problems through which we have the ability to cope and grow (see Figure 1).

But for the individual in crisis, the triangle upends to teeter on a point of anxiety and instability (see Figure 2). Worry and uncertainty can lead to heart palpitations, confused thoughts, racing emotions, and a sense of utter vulnerability. The key to working through crisis is to tip the triangle off its point back to a position of stability that fosters growth. Without assistance, a person may tip the wrong direction, fall into dysfunction, and suffer such problems as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, general anxiety, and other major emotional consequences. To move toward growth and away from dysfunction, one must progress through the following basic steps:

1. Connect with trusted people, preferably close family members or friends who know you well.
2. Express feelings without limitation.
3. Focus on the here and now.
4. Examine the problem and verbalize perceptions, fears, doubts, etc.
5. Clarify reality.
6. Define goals and plans of action.
7. Look for hope.

Gentle giant Charlie

Among our clients is an ironworker named “Charlie.” Charlie is a Christian, and despite his imposing 6'7", 280-pound stature, is a very gentle and caring individual. Charlie’s job in the weeks since September 11 has placed him at the heart of “ground zero” pulling body parts out of twisted steel girders and mountains of rubble. Charlie walked into my office leaving a trail of cement dust in his wake. As he settled into one of the chairs, I recognized the “thousand mile stare” that filled his eyes. He had seen and touched too much to be able to cope with the daily routine of living. Charlie was shutting down—and isolating himself from friends and loved ones who daily tried to “fix” him and encourage his recovery. He was a triangle that would soon tumble the wrong direction if something didn’t change. He was incapable of connecting with others until he connected with himself and his own pain.

Over time, however, Charlie began to express his feelings without limitation. First came his anger as he ground his hands together in frustration and rage. But soon followed the tears of release and healing as Charlie melted into God’s healing hands and let it all out. Only then could

we proceed through the remaining steps so that Charlie could move toward growth rather than spiral into continued dysfunction. It will take a long time for Charlie to regain all he lost; indeed, he may never be the same. But he is now on the path to finding his purpose and God’s mercy in the midst of crisis.

War zone

During the week after the terrorist attack, those of us with the New York Christian Counseling Center fought our own battles with constant frustration. Daily attempts to reach our offices were continually thwarted by armed guardsmen. We could see our building down the block, but the destruction was too immense to permit passage; clouds of smoke and dust continued to pour forth from the end of our street like the aftermath of a volcano. Our eyes watered and stung as we trudged through wreckage and police detours.

Finally gaining access to our building, we found everything covered with a thick layer of white concrete powder. Fortunately, we had closed all our windows the night before the attack, which made cleanup much easier. Our neighbor was not so fortunate, as his one open window admitted about three inches of dusty residue to clog every corner of his office. He has since given up and moved to New Jersey to rebuild his business. Such challenges are part of the daily existence we face in the war zone of New York City.

Who can be against us?

But the challenges of coping confront all of us every day of our lives. Romans 8:39 emphatically reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We must let Him be the ever-present focus of our existence. If we drift back into what might have happened or what we could have done differently, we will lose touch with the present. If we project into the future, we will wrestle with unknowns and thus increase our sense of vulnerability. In the moment of crisis, we must be able to deal with the reality of the here and now. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

None of us will ever be the same again; it is a simple yet painful reality. But it is not so much the events of September 11 that bring us anguish and anxiety, as it is what we believe about them. If we wrestle with the “shoulds, coulds, and musts,” and issue forth our futile demands for reason, we will continue to walk in pain and hopelessness. But if we simply trust that the love of God is real and that it never fails us, then our longing for explanation will give way to the reality that some things just do not seem to make sense. Nothing, however, can change the reality of Jesus Christ in our lives. •

J. Terry Twerell, D.P.C. (doctorate of pastoral counseling), is an adjunct professor for Bethel Seminary of the East and president of the New York Christian Counseling Center in Manhattan. A diplomate with the American Psychotherapist Association, the National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists, and the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy, Twerell also is state supervisor for the National Christian Counselors Association and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Twerell founded Living Word Church in New York City and served as pastor there for 20 years.