Remembering Oklahoma City 30 Years Later

April 19, 1995.

On a clear spring morning evil shattered the heart of America.

At 9:02 a.m., outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, a truck bomb exploded, killing 168 people, including 19 children. More than 600 others were injured.

Families were forever changed. A city was ripped apart. Our nation was shocked and stunned.

In the midst of devastation, something extraordinary happened. Tragedy birthed resilience.

The entire world watched as Oklahoma City became a bulwark of hope and a beacon of resilience. In the midst of epic tragedy, first responders rushed toward the danger. Strangers helped strangers. Prayers rose from every corner of the country. The term “Oklahoma Standard” was born. It came, not from a place of pride or triumph, but from a deep well of compassion, service, and strength. Neighbor stood next to neighbor.

Today, 30 years later, we remember.

We remember the innocent lives of the children at the daycare that were lost. We remember the federal workers who went to work that day like any other day. We remember the passersby, who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, unaware of what was going to happen to them when they left their homes that morning. We remember the men and women who woke up that day with plans, with purpose, with hope—only to be snuffed out. Extinguished. Their lives not only interrupted, but cut short. We honor the survivors whose scars—both visible and invisible—will forever mark their journey. We lift up and pray for the families who have carried the weight of loss for three decades.

We also remember what hate can do. We know how unresolved fear and anger quickly turn to violence. We realize that words fuel ideologies that wreak destruction rather than build futures. As people of faith—as believers —we are asked to be peacemakers. We are tasked to speak truth with love. God calls us to choose grace over grievance. Justice over vengeance and hope over despair.

Thirty years later, the wounds still ache. But, so does the hope.

The Survivor Tree—bearing witness to one of the most horrific events ever seen—still stands. It is gnarled and weathered, yet alive. The tree is a reminder that life persists even after the unthinkable happens. After death changes everything, faith endures. While evil leaves its mark, it never has the final say.

On this solemn anniversary, may we be a people who remember—not only the tragedy, but the triumph. Love and courage won. May you and I live lives worthy of those lives that were lost, sowing peace, extending mercy, and walking humbly with our God.

May we never forget.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 ESV

Be salty, stay lit.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™

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