We Want to Forget the Day we will Always Remember

9/11/2001 - A day we want to forget...A day we will always remember.  

What can I say about this day that has not already been said?  I considered a reverent silence on this subject, but I'm not so sure that is appropriate.  Nor am I sure it's appropriate to even comment on what happened.  I don't want to rehash old wounds for the sake of going through those emotions again, but yet I don't want to forget how that day changed the world.

What can I say to a man or woman who lost a spouse on that day?  What could I say to children who lost a parent that day?  What could I say to a parent who lost a child?  What can I say to people who lost friends and loved ones?  What can I say to a nation that lost its sense of security?  What can I say to Muslims who had nothing to do with this attack who have been mistreated?  What can I say to the soldier who was called to active war duty?  What can I say to innocent civilians in other nations who lost loved ones in a war in which they had no stake?  What could I say to the innocent families of terrorists who saw the terrorist as "daddy," or "husband," or "brother," or "son?"  What can I say to innocent New York City residents both then and now whose city was under attack?  What can I say to those in Washington DC whose city was targeted?  What can I say to the small town of Shanksville, Pennsylvania where a plane being used as a weapon crashed?  What can I say to children born after the attacks but live in a completely different world from the one adults grew up in?

We all remember where we were when the planes hit the Twin Towers.  Most of us thought the first crash was due to pilot error, or a problem with the plane.  Then came the second plane.  Then, we knew it was a coordinated attack.  I remember that I was teaching at the time.  I had a 4th grade class in my music room when their homeroom teacher came and delivered the news.  I had to wait over an hour before I could get to a TV.

For some reason, the attack on the Pentagon has not been as much of a conversation topic, but none the less, lives were lost.  People who were just doing their daily work died.  Those people also had faces, names, and family and friends.

The small town of Shanksville, PA was also attacked.  This was not an attack on them, per se; the plane was bound for another "high profile" target.  But, the passengers attacked the terrorists and the plane crashed into a field.

I was near Shanksville just over a week before the attacks.  I was visiting a friend in Somerset, PA, just a few miles from Shanksville.  My visit was a peaceful one.  It was to visit an old friend and relax from the job search I was doing.  I got my rest on that trip.  I spent quality time with a good friend.  And by the grace of God, I was called by a school district that hired me while I was there.  Just over a week later, the entire small, safe town changed.

I don't want to look at 9/11 as a sacred event...It is completely the opposite.  People who felt victimized for whatever reason decided to act violently, and not just violently, but also to spread fear.  Their plan worked...for a while at least.

What can we learn from 9/11?  Here are some thoughts:
1.  9/11 shows us the destructive nature of violence.  What if these people entered into dialogue with those whom they saw as "the enemy?"  What if they used their talent for violence to be a talent for peace making?  Can we do the same?  It's easy to hate our enemies (both in the international sense as well in our personal lives).  We probably won't do anything as drastic as the 9/11 attacks, but can we dialogue with and pray for our enemies?  Can we be the peacemakers?

2.  We must never think of 9/11 as a "Holy Day."  It's a day to remember and memorialize those who were lost.  It's a day to feel sad.  It's a day to pray.  It is a day that our country will not (and should not) forget.  But, as we remember this day, we need to be of the Anti-9/11-Terrorist-Mindset.  We need to use this day as a springboard for doing good...for loving more...for praying more.

3.  We need to remember that we were NEVER at war WITH Afghanistan and Iraq.  I will not go into political right vs. wrong here, but we were NEVER at war with these countries.  We were/are at war with individuals from those countries.  We cannot say that ALL Iraqis or Afghanis are bad.  In the same way, we can not say that ALL Americans are good (or bad).  All societies have good and bad.  We need to remember that just like us, the normal Iraqi or Afghani had nothing to do with these attacks.  The average person in both nations wants to lead a life of meaning and to better their lives for their children and younger generations as we do.

4.  Islam is not the enemy.  I will refrain from the term "Radical Islam" because I'm not sure what it means.  In the same way, I refuse to use "Liberal," "Conservative," or "Fundamentalist" as they apply to religion or politics.  Islam is not our enemy.  True, those who attacked us were Muslims, but their religion did not attack us.  When the Christian Terrorist attacked innocent civilians in Norway, Christianity was not the enemy; the terrorist was.  We should not fear or hate Islam.  Muslims obviously have different theologies and customs from Christians.  We need to love our Muslim brothers and sisters as we love our Christian brothers and sisters.  We need to show them (and the whole world) God's love. We will disagree on many important issues, but hate must never come into the dialogue.

5.  Whether you are pro-war (I mean that in the sense that you feel that war is sometimes justified - NOT that pro-war people see war as the only solution), pacifist, or a Just War advocate, we all need to be Pro-Peace and Pro-Love.  From veterans I've talked to, war is "hell on earth."  While those I talked to saw their service in war as a duty, they saw it as a last resort after diplomatic solutions failed.  We need to remember that Christ calls us to love our enemies.  Every believer needs to determine what that means.  But, even those who see no moral conflict with war can see that we must first strive for peace.  We need to remember that Christ calls us to forgive.  Not just to forgive the easy things, but to also forgive the hard things.

A word on forgiveness:  Forgiveness doesn't mean we forget what happened.  It doesn't mean that we don't still harbor feelings of pain.  Forgiveness is what we extend in saying "You hurt me...but let's work this out."  It's what we do when we realize we cannot judge and sentence anyone to eternal reward or punishment and accept that only God has that right.  Forgiveness is not letting your heart be hardened beyond repair because of the evil done to you.  Forgiveness is ugly!  It makes us go through emotions and internal battles we do not want.  But yet, Christ tells us to forgive.

On this 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, join God's side.  Spread love to those who need it.  Give comfort to those who mourn.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  And who is my neighbor???  The world is our neighbor.

Also remember that in Christ we do not need to be afraid.  What the terrorists wanted to steal is something that cannot be taken from us unless we give it away.  "Perfect love casts out fear."  Love God enough that God's grace and blessings free you from your fears.