In the past week, hundreds of people have wandered down Bourbon Street in New Orleans, La., to mourn those killed on Jan. 1. A man sped his rented truck down the busy street during New Year’s celebrations, killing 14 and injuring more than 30 others. Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) chaplains provided emotional and spiritual care in the area and visited a local hospital to be with several victims hurt in the attack.
This chaplain gave a woman a copy of “When Your Whole World Changes”—a Gospel-centered booklet to help her grapple with loss and grief. Chaplains share the hope of Jesus Christ during some of the most difficult times in people’s lives so that even in the pain, those who receive God’s salvation can say with confidence, “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life” (Psalm 119:50, ESV).
Many grieving people have shared with chaplains that prayer encourages and comforts them in ways that nothing else can. The team prayed with over 560 people in New Orleans in the days following the brutal attack.
A young man added his part to a growing memorial remembering the lives cut short in a matter of minutes on New Year’s Day.
A chaplain ministered to a man outside the team’s Mobile Ministry Center, which serves as a quiet, safe space for conversation. Using “Steps to Peace With God”—a small Gospel booklet—he shared how to find lasting comfort and hope through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Crisis-trained chaplains also ministered to law enforcement after a grueling, emotionally draining week. Please keep all those impacted by this tragedy in your prayers as they and their loved ones process trauma in the days ahead.
