This coming Sunday, 11 September 2011, is the tenth anniversary of a devastating event in the United States, and in the world, that caused the shocking, sudden death of thousands. It also caused suffering for tens of thousands of people who lost loved ones, and for first responders who survived but are still suffering from the physical and emotional trauma of that day.
I spoke to Rev. Pat Bumgardner yesterday, who with Rev. Joseph Tolton of the Fellowship, has been in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda this week, reaching out on behalf of MCC's Global Justice Institute. They have met people of faith and courage who suffer daily from discrimination, oppression, and poverty. Rev. Pat, on her way home to New York for the 9/11 memorials, offers this reflection:
"On September 11th, 2001, our beloved City changed forever. This is a very sad day for us, for so many at MCC New York who lost so much. But it is also a day in which we realize that the hole in the ground in lower Manhattan opened us up to a hole in the heart of the world, and the suffering that is there. Because of the tragedy of 9/11 we feel a greater connection to what millions of people endure every day, and a deeper commitment to address it in everything we say and do...."
Today, I listened to surviving first responders, who spoke about risking their lives to save people who were urging them to get out of the North Tower of the World Trade Center and just save themselves. I was amazed at how events of ten years ago are still so fresh, as people attempt to express the sense of mystery, terror and valor all mixed together in a single event.
How will we choose to remember the events of 9/11 and all that has followed in the last ten years? Will we collapse in despair, or will we rise and offer ourselves to God in partnership for "tikkun olam," the repair of the world.
One of my favorite living saints, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, writes in his book, God is Not a Christian and Other Provocations, about the Biblical story of Daniel in the fiery furnace. He reflects on the meaning of the holy presence that was in the fire with them:
We worship a God who does not give good advice from a great, safe distance away. Our God is a God who enters the furnace of tribulation with us. . . .God asks us, 'Will you please help me? Will you please help me save the world. . .Will you please help me to change the ugliness of the world? Will you help me bring peace where there is war' . . .?
Those of us who are Americans may want to think that our suffering is unique or not connected to the plight of many around the world - but we cannot afford that kind of isolation. More than ever, as we remember those who died then, and those who have died in a decade of wars to follow, we need to see ourselves as human beings created by One God who loves us and wants us to live together in justice and peace.
Today I offer this prayer of hope and solidarity for this solemn anniversary:
"God of our hearts, whose heart was broken again on September 11, 2001, help us to be your faithful partners and witnesses in a broken world. Jesus, may your Light shine through us! Spirit, may you hover over every helpless, desperate place and be the bearer of change and hope. Help us to see our destiny in the destinies of others, to see a future where bridges of love and compassion and justice unite us and overcome every division. Bless our MCC churches around the world today, every outpost of hope, and every place of faith and goodness that proclaims your truth. Connect us to your vulnerable heart today, God of peace. Amen."
Peace,
Nancy
Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson
