It is pouring rain this morning in Connecticut. The skies are dark, the air is heavy, and I am resisting leaving my home.
September 11, 2001 was a beautiful day in the New York metropolitan area, with a sky like the one in this picture. I was on my way to a ministers' meeting, enjoying driving with the top down, when the first news came over Morning Edition. By the time I reached the meeting, the second plane had hit. Each of us stumbled into the meeting with shock and fear; we sat around a radio straining for more information as the church had no tv. We cried, we prayed, we sang, and within 30 minutes, one of the ministers said, "We all have to go back now to our home congregations and get to work."
And we did. Two men from our church, brothers, were killed. Others escaped. Everyone had a story of someone they knew.
They still do.
I imagine that your heart feels heavy this morning. Mine does. Filled with grief, sadness, remorse, anger. I yearn to believe "never again."
But, I don't believe that. It seems inevitable that it will happen again. Violence, terrorism, suicide bombings, war are happening all the time. Why do we think it will be different on our soil? Why don't we cry out each and every day when we read of yet another suicide bombing?
The words of Finlandia are signing in my mind as I write this:
"This is my home,
the country where my heart is,
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine,
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
...
Oh hear my song, thou God of all the nations
a song of peace for their land and for mine."
Tell the people in your life you love them. Do a mitzvah. Forgive someone who has hurt you. Tell Congress you want this war to end, regardless of yesterday's report. Hug your children. Address an injustice.
Remember.
2 comments:
Eileen Fleming sent in this comment, that included a book chapter that was too long to post. This is what she wrote:
THAT DAY and This 9/11
"We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the world - no longer a Government of free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant men." - Woodrow Wilson
When President Bush went on TV and told we the people to "GO SHOP!" And that "They hated us because we were free!" I did NOT react with FEAR, but curiosity, and wondered if 'They' hated us so much to target and murder innocent people had something to do with Americans mindless over consumption of the world's resources and apathy towards the poor and oppressed.
Up until THAT DAY we call 9/11, I was your typical self-satisfied, self-centered, uninformed, misinformed comfortable American.
THAT DAY, changed everything and began my search to learn WHY do some people in the world hate us so much that they could target and murder innocent people.
I learned PLENTY!
And being a Christian of The Beatitudes; one who follows what the Master taught was non-negotiable;
That to be forgiven; you must forgive!
That to follow him meant you must pray and bless and love your enemies!
And that it is the Peacemakers who are the children of God,
And so, I was led to the Interfaith non-profit Olive Trees Foundation for Peace, founded by a 1948 refugee from the Galilee, Dr. Khaled Diab and to journey five times to Israel Palestine, for all roads lead to Jerusalem...
The previous comment is quite eloquent, in my opinion, and makes some very good points.
The war in Iraq (along with the Patriot Act) is the most significant consequence of the attack on the twin towers. I, along with many thousands of other parents have two children fighting that war. My children and I maintain a respectful silence regarding the politics associated with the war in Iraq. Like the majority of soldiers, my children tend not to question the validity of their assignments. And to be honest with you, I don't want them second guessing their roles when their lives are on the line. I want them to concentrate on staying alive. I think we should all be praying for our military, that they will find the wisdom to make the difficult choices they are faced with. We should also pray that their (our)Commander In Chief will come to his senses and get them the *#^* out of there sooner than later.
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