On April 19, 1995, tragedy struck Oklahoma City. A truck, loaded with explosives, detonated at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The bombing killed 168 people and left many more injured. In the days following the attack, officials identified Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols as the primary perpetrators. The Oklahoma City Bombing was the deadliest incident of domestic terrorism (at that time), and the aftermath left the nation reeling in shock and grief.

Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating invited Billy Graham to participate in a memorial service for the victims. On April 23, 1995, four days after the bombing, Rev. Graham spoke in Oklahoma City where families, community members, and dignitaries came to pay their respects to those who lost their lives. President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, were also invited to attend. Following President Clinton’s address, Billy Graham approached the podium to speak. In his autobiography Just As I Am, he recounts:

“I spoke also to the assembled crowd—one of the most difficult things I have done in my life—telling them frankly that I did not understand why God allowed things like this to happen. Our knowledge is limited, I pointed out, and there are some things we will never understand this side of eternity. I reminded them, however, that even though we do not understand, God does not change. He is still the God of love and mercy; and in the midst of our sorrow and pain, we can turn to Him in faith and trust.”

Following the service, Billy Graham, along with President and Mrs. Clinton, met privately with some of the families who had been affected by the bombing. Rev. Graham watched President Clinton as he met with the families away from the prying eyes of the television cameras and reporters. He was impressed with how the president greeted each person because he’d rarely “seen anyone express so movingly and sincerely a genuine sense of compassion and sympathy to those who were hurting,” and Dr. Graham believed the president was “the real pastor that day.”

As we look back across 30 years, we can see how this one event changed our country forever, leaving a scar that will forever remain. However, while there is a scar, we can find encouragement in Billy Graham’s words from the memorial service:

“Times like this will do one of two things. They will either make us hard and bitter and angry at God, or they will make us tender and open, and help us to reach out in trust and faith. I think that is what the people of Oklahoma are doing that I have met since I have been here these past two days. I pray that you will not let bitterness and poison creep into your soul, but that you will turn in faith and trust in God even if we cannot understand. It is better to face something like this with God than without Him.”

If you are going through a hard time and would like to pray with someone, call the 24/7 Billy Graham Prayer Line at 888-388-2683; or, if you’re visiting the Library, our volunteers and chaplains would love the opportunity to meet and pray with you.