September 11, 2001

Peace and Prayer

The world goes on, but we are not the same. We have been reminded rudely, once again, that we are human, that we are fragile, that we have limits. Like you, I'm only beginning to sort through what all of this means. My faith, first of all, calls on me to affirm what the Psalmists have said, that God is always with us, that we are never alone. God does not cause these things to happen, nor allow them to happen. God gives us the ability to make choices. These acts of terror are human choices, human actions. What God does promise, is to be with us throughout our times of trial, helping us to find the strength, the ability to cope, to carry on. Helping us to affirm that life is most important of all. That life will always be victorious over death. So, first and foremost as people of faith, we need to draw on our deep resources, believing that God is with us, and that God will help us to make it through. Not only us as individuals, but us as a community, us as a nation, and us as a world.

Second of all, I am reminded once again, that life is very short, and that there is no way we can protect ourselves from all the things that can happen to us.

Jesus tells a story about a rich farmer, who has a successful harvest. He decides to build bigger barns so that he can provide security for himself far into the future. That very night, his life is demanded of him. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us not to be concerned about material things. But, instead, to be focused on God, and God's love. With that priority, he said, "The rest will fall into line."

Our time on this earth is very short. We need to do all we can to live our lives to the best of our ability. To share the talents that we have been given. To share God's love with others. In this time of sorrow, we turn to God again for the strength to be able to live with courage and love.

Even though we are a people of faith, we are not protected from anger, from fear, from frustration. This day, we have had unbelievable things happen to us. We know there is very little we can to do protect ourselves in the future. There is a strong tendency for us to want to strike out, to strike back, and to gain revenge. We need to remember that we are called on to love, to work for justice, and not to seek revenge.

That doesn't mean that we don't try to discover who was responsible for these terrorist acts and to bring them to justice. That is the right thing to do. But, as people of faith we have no room for hatred. Anger, yes, but hatred, no. As we sort through, we need to take care that we do not point fingers too quickly. That we don't make assumptions about who is responsible. That we don't blame whole groups of people. We have examples in our life times. When the federal building was bombed in Oklahoma City, immediately every person who looked to be of Arab descent was suspected. People whispered and pointed, only to find out it was not Arab terrorists who were responsible, but instead red-blooded American terrorists. Many of you in this part of the country were neighbors of Japanese-Americans when Pearl Harbor was bombed. While many historians might defend the need to protect our country by gathering folks together in detention camps, in retrospect there was a lot of hatred and bigotry that came in the name of patriotism, or faithfulness.

Today's horror was not a nation declaring war on the United States. This was a group of terrorists, of crazy people, pushing their particular political position in a way that was planned to catch everyone's attention. It most certainly has. We are not at war with the Arab world. We can't blame Israel for helping to create this mess. Terrorism, whoever is to blame, is a world problem, not just a problem for the United States. Together we need to solve the problem of terrorism, by working for justice. By working for love. We pray for this country as we sort through the pain. We pray that we will be patient and understanding. Diligent in searching for those who are responsible, strong in bringing them to justice. But, doing so with the proper attitude, so that we might maintain our right relationship with God. So that we might help the world to heal. Those who do such things, these terrorists, either want our nation to curl up into a ball, isolated from the rest of the world so that we are only about ourselves, or they want us to strike out in uncontrolled fury, fanning the flames of division around the world.

If we are to respond as people of faith, if we are to respond as patriotic Americans, we will do neither of these. We will not pull in tight to protect ourselves; neither will we strike out in anger. Instead, we will work for freedom, and for justice.

In all the news reports today, there were interviews with witnesses. Picture after picture depicting the horror. We really have not yet begun to hear the stories of individuals. The stories of people who died in this tragedy.

I remember many times driving into large cities on the interstate, looking down the streets of the city at business districts and apartments, wondering about all of the stories that are taking place in those buildings. All the different people living their lives. There is a poem that I share from time to time that talks about people, not as faceless individuals caught up in tragedy, but as unique people, known and loved by relatives and by friends. Mary Vickers Hudspeth is the author. The title is Dear Ancestor.

Today at the National Archive,
Sanctuary of the Past,
I searched for and found
Your name.
Through the mist of ages
Or of my happy tears,
You returned so vividly to me:
I saw you walking slowly in the midday sun
From the fields,
For you saw him approach-
The census taker.
Your face is tan,
And your clothing holds the fragrance
Of the soil, your life, your work.
Then I saw her, too,
Your wife, standing at the open cabin door.
She smoothes her hair and tidies her skirt.
Together you answered his questions,
And for a moment you wondered why,
But you found pleasure,
As I did today,
In each child's name
And his age, his progress.
As you counted your brood
Together with your wife.
Your eyes met,
And you exchanged a smile.
The children gathered close,
Curious about the stranger,
I say Bethia's long, golden curls,
Richard's plump, upturned face,
Joseph's manly stance;
And suddenly my thoughts were
Strange to me,
For I missed you
And longed for our reunion.

We are reminded by the poets that every death is also our death, that we are part of the greater whole. Those who were victims of the terrorists attacks are unique individuals, loved by God. I invite you to light candles tonight, to remember those we have lost.