September 11th this year will mark the tenth anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil in our relatively young history as an independent nation. 9/11 is one of those events in our life that leaves an indelible mark on our memory – a memory that can recount the details of our day. This memory is also one that solicits passionate feelings – feelings of hatred, intolerance, fear, and anger. All of these feelings are probably normal human feelings when one’s liberty, way of life and our pursuit of happiness is threatened. No one would blame you for having these feelings and our humanity won’t allow us to push them away and so our best response to such feelings is to find loving and meaningful ways to deal with the violence and hatred that changed the world as we know it. From now on, our life as individuals, as families, and as a nation will forever be different because what we thought was impossible was possible. Our task as a nation and as a people is to turn this tenth anniversary of this tragic event in our history from becoming a hate festival of shallow patriotism to be a global love fest of peace and justice for all God’s children. Even more significantly, we need to remember the passion and spirit in which God created this world and ALL of its diversity and remember that God created the world and God called the world “GOOD!”
The book of Acts recounts a significant dream that was dreamt by Peter. The disciple Peter dreamed that he had become hungry and wanted something to eat. He dreamed that a large sheet had come down from heaven and in the sheet were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air, the very animals that were forbidden for the Hebrew people to eat. As he observed this strange phenomenon the voice of God said, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat.” Peter, a devout Jew refused to eat the creatures and said, “By no means Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” And to Peter’s surprise the voice came a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” Just as it is with Peter, so is it true of us too. We are not in a position to judge what is clean or unclean or what is the right religion or what is the wrong religion. Our calling on this tenth anniversary of 9/11 is to show the world what is good and acceptable to God and to the world. Through our deeds of kindness and in our positive actions of grace, we show the world that we, like God, abhor any acts of violence of any kind. Whether they are rabid Muslims, Jews, Christians or any other religion that celebrates violence over non-violence, destruction over understanding, or humility over dignity, all are contrary to God’s will, all are not good. Remember, our own religion is not without its radical, right wing fanatics.
What then shall we do? Instead of passing judgment on that which we do not understand perhaps this tenth anniversary is a time to learn about all the monotheistic faiths of the world. Perhaps we need to participate in events and experiences that do not celebrate one faith over another, but to celebrate all the faiths of the world that have brought grace, civility, and order to the violent nature of humanity. Maybe this tenth anniversary is a day to give thanks to those who did die on that day for the lives they touched before their tragic death. Maybe this day is an invitation to embrace humanity in all its goodness and all its weakness and to show the world that we have a different understanding of faith in action, faith values and one that celebrates all of life.
As I babble on about anniversaries, right and wrong expressions of faith and tragic events that redefined our world, I am empowered by the added Christian blessing of the subversive power of the resurrection -- Christian hope. The resurrection makes it possible to see beyond the fog of out of control emotions. The resurrection of Jesus Christ did not happen so that we might remember tragic anniversaries of horrible acts of violence, but rather, that we might imagine a different tomorrow – a future that is more about Kingdom values than American values, more about life than about death, and more about a future with God than a future built upon prejudices, hatred, and violence. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a powerful act of God’s amazing grace and the good news is that it is not ours to keep, but ours to share. So then, how will you remember 9/11? Perhaps this is the year to choose the subversive power of the resurrection. What do you think?
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