September
28, 2001
The horrific tragedy of September 11 has left its searing print
and pain on the soul and heart of humanity. Each of us has been
changed. Forever.
Terrible
tragedy does that. Philosophers and theologians say that tragic
events do more to shape the human journey of life and faith than
do sunny, happy moments. That is not to say that life is tragic.
It is just that tragedy requires a deeper response from within us.
When
some of us stood at Ground Zero in downtown New York City on Monday,
September 17, we had no words. Only silence. Only tears. Only wrenching
hearts and stomachs. Somebody had mounted loud speakers. Occasionally,
the silence was broken by John Philip Sousa's "March"
or the instrumental "National Anthem." In the wake of
that unspeakable terror and tragedy, with my entire body trembling,
I listened to "America's music," I felt the hunger for
God, and I noticed a tug of hope deep inside of me.
That
seems to be the order. Feelings come first. Disbelief, silence,
shock, tears come next. Later, feeble words begin to surface in
an attempt to capture feelings. Acknowledged
feelings are important. As is one's faith. As are the words. The
telling and retelling of the stories of September 11, and its aftermath
will be part of our healing.
We
all stand near Ground Zero. Terror (and terrorists) have struck
the heart of the world. Of the over 6,000 missing and dead in the
World Trade Center towers alone, slightly over 2,500 are white Anglo-Saxon
Americans. The others are our sisters and brothers who are African
Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, citizens of Great Britain,
Brazil, Malaysia, etc. The world stands at Ground Zero.
The
God of world faiths stands at Ground Zero: Yahweh, Allah, Christ…those
are some of God's names. God weeps. God holds out his hands. God
embraces her universal family. God is in the wordless souls of the
saints departed, their families, the human family. Our hope is in
our God.
Tragedy
shapes the human journey. But, rising from the ashes of tragedy
is the God of our spiritual ancestors, the God of Abraham, Ishmael
and Jesus. Our God gathers us and lifts us up. Today we live in
a sadder, more tragic world. But, we now live in a world of deeper
spiritual and moral awareness. We live in a world of a heightened
need for authentic community. We live in a world of fewer idle words
(maybe), and more need for the Word. President Bush states that
in the weeks ahead we will get "almost back to normal."
I don't believe we'll ever return to "normal." In ways
for which we do not have words, we are changed. Forever! "O
God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come."
© 2001 Calvary Episcopal Church, Memphis TN
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