Forgiveness at Ground Zero
A Journey of Service, Loss, and Redemption after 9/11
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Forgiveness at Ground Zero
Narrated by:
Jason Keller
Pre-order Now for £13.75
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Narrated by:
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Jason Keller
On the morning after September 11, 2001, Rev. Lyndon Harris pushed through smoke and ash toward St. Paul’s Chapel, just blocks from the World Trade Center. He expected ruin. Instead, the historic chapel stood—scarred but intact—and soon became a sanctuary for exhausted, grieving recovery workers at Ground Zero.
For close to a year Harris led an extraordinary, volunteer-driven ministry that provided food, rest, prayer, and human connection to those laboring day and night on “the Pile.” St. Paul’s became known worldwide as “the little chapel that stood,” a symbol of hope amid devastation.
But when the chapel closed in 2002, Harris’s own life unraveled. Years of conflict and resistance within his church left him overwhelmed by anger, resentment, and a desire for retribution. He ultimately lost his faith, left New York, and entered a long, private struggle with grief and disillusionment.
This book is not only a firsthand account of one of 9/11’s most enduring symbols, but a deeply personal story of what happens after the cameras leave. Harris traces his journey from idealistic small-town priest to Ground Zero leader, through spiritual collapse, and finally toward an unexpected healing grounded in forgiveness.
Drawing on pioneering research developed with Stanford psychologist Dr. Frederic Luskin, cofounder of the Forgiveness Project, Harris explores forgiveness not as “forgive and forget,” but as a rigorous, transformative practice essential for recovery after trauma. His story speaks to first responders, faith leaders, and anyone carrying unresolved pain—offering rare insight into the emotional cost of service, the limits of institutional faith, and the resilience required to truly move forward.©2026 Lyndon Fitzgerald Harris (P)2026 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
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Critic reviews
An affecting memoir about moving beyond blame.
I know this book will touch you and help you because that's what it did for me. It repeatedly surprised me with its wisdom, honesty, tenderness, and insight ... all flowing from a real and relatable story. If you've ever been pushed around, shoved aside, put down, or let down by people you trusted, this book will help you feel your grief without falling into grievance, so you can keep moving forward. (Brian D. McLaren)
This powerful and unflinching memoir explores forgiveness not as a lofty ideal, but as a hard-won act of survival. After losing his ministry, a broken-hearted priest without status or peace of mind, embarks on a long and arduous journey of self-discovery. What begins as a story of grief, anger, and spiritual crisis becomes a powerful redemptive narrative of hope, healing and finding meaning. For anyone stranded in the wilderness of loss, Forgiveness at Ground Zero offers a creative map beyond blame and isolation. Grounded in the understanding that forgiveness is making peace with what we cannot change, this book illuminates the profound, transformative power of forgiveness and conveys a vital message for us all. (Marina Cantacuzino)
This book tells a monumental and deeply human story of trauma, reckoning, and transformation. With honesty and emotional precision, Lyndon Harris guides readers through every stage of an extraordinary journey—from the raw pull of revenge fantasies to the difficult, illuminating work of confronting them. His reflections on revenge, radical hospitality, and moral struggle are riveting and unsparing, revealing not only what he endured, but who he became in the process. Each chapter builds with clarity and courage, offering an intimate portrait of a person willing to look unflinchingly at his own darkness in order to find something truer on the other side.
What emerges is a powerful meditation on forgiveness—not as denial, weakness, or betrayal, but as a radical, life-altering act that refuses to let violence define the future. There is a sense of destiny woven throughout the narrative, as Harris comes to see how meaning, growth, and transformation were present from the very beginning, even in the worst moments. Challenging common assumptions about what is “unforgivable,” this book invites readers to reconsider what forgiveness truly is, what it demands, and what it can make possible. It is a courageous, inspiring memoir that has the power to change how we understand suffering, grace, and the possibility of becoming someone new. (Olivier Clerc)
What emerges is a powerful meditation on forgiveness—not as denial, weakness, or betrayal, but as a radical, life-altering act that refuses to let violence define the future. There is a sense of destiny woven throughout the narrative, as Harris comes to see how meaning, growth, and transformation were present from the very beginning, even in the worst moments. Challenging common assumptions about what is “unforgivable,” this book invites readers to reconsider what forgiveness truly is, what it demands, and what it can make possible. It is a courageous, inspiring memoir that has the power to change how we understand suffering, grace, and the possibility of becoming someone new. (Olivier Clerc)
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