(Here is a reprint of my “Focus” column in our church newsletter, published 10 years ago immediately after the tragedies and terror of September 11, 2001. Updated comments are in italics.)
My 15-year-old niece, Ana, is a student at Stuyvesant High School in downtown New York near Battery Park. During first period Ana glanced up from her desk and saw smoke pouring out of the top of the World Trade Center. The principle spoke over the intercom to announce that a plane had accidentally struck the WTC. Ana went with her classmates to their next classes. She looked up again and watched in horror as a second airplane smashed into the other tower. Within the next hour she witnessed both towers come crashing down. Buildings which took six years to build were felled in less than two hours. As Ana’s public high school became a public triage in response to the emergency, the principle released the students to go home to safety. Ana and some friends walked north up the west side of Manhattan to 81stStreet, a hike of about five miles, and then she called David, her father and my eldest brother. He picked them up and took them home. Meanwhile Teresa, David’s wife, was evacuated from her office in one of the United Nations buildings. Teresa immediately walked over to Hunter High School and collected Daniel, my 13-year-old nephew, and together they went to David and Teresa’s home on 105th Street near Broadway. (Later that evening we learned that our beloved friend Sharon Balkcom had been killed when the first plane struck her office on the 95th floor.)
This is one story of millions across America. A land of people from many faiths and backgrounds, we are drawn together as one in our grief, anger, horror, gratitude, and hope. We grieve for all the victims and their families. We are angry at the perpetrators and the violent mindset of anyone who intentionally seeks to harm innocent people. We are horrified at the magnitude of the catastrophe, and in our need to make sense of it we liken it to Pearl Harbor or Hiroshima, horrific bombings which bookend America’s participation in World War II. We are grateful to God for our friends and family members who survived; for those who, knowingly or unknowingly, gave their lives; and for those who make sacrifices for neighbors in ways great and small. We keep alive a deep and abiding hope for the day when the Kingdom of God shall reign on earth as it does in Heaven.
My friends, here are three responses to the tragedy of the attack on America.
First, keep your eyes on the helpers. It is tempting to focus on the perpetrators, but let us keep our focus on those who walk into the smoke to rescue and save. I grew up with an athletic, bright friend in our Church of the Living Hope’s youth group named Jimmy Cintron. Jimmy became an energetic, committed firefighter in the Bronx. I am positive Jimmy is in the midst of NY’s flames and ashes and rescue efforts. (Indeed, NY Fireman Cintron was there; he worked nonstop for over 48 hours at Ground Zero.)
Secondly, leave revenge to the Lord. It is most tempting to want to strike out at those who do evil. Evil is spiritual, it is alive, and it is real. We are in a spiritual war with evil, and it is certainly understandable that many of us are filled with self-righteousness for our cause, and many believe that revenge is justifiable. Must more innocent people die to appease our anger? My prayer is that we not lower our ethics to the level of those who do evil, but rather that we demonstrate the highest forms of social responsibility, accountability, fairness, and justice. It is our responsibility to bring the catch to Christ, and to let Christ do the cleaning.
Third, pray to the God of grace. I heard a young man on television say he did not know why God did this, but that God must have a reason. Sir, the God I know and love and follow does not send tragedies or trials, temptations or terror. My God is not cruel. The God I follow is a constant help in times of pain and trouble. You see, suffering and death are neutral. What is not neutral is our response. When faced with suffering and death, we make a choice by how we respond. Do we serve the devil or God? Do we serve the forces of evil by giving in or giving up, or do we serve the God of love by carrying forth the best of the spirits of those who died and move forward with faith and hope? Rather than seeing the Holy Spirit as a force to blame, turn now to the Spirit for strength and sustenance.
I resolve to be a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. I resolve to build up a better church to glorify God. I resolve to teach peace and work for justice. I resolve to work and play alongside you, my friends, as we build up the kingdom of God, with the help of Jesus Christ.
(I continue to act on that same resolve, with the help of God. Join with me and our neighbors at a 9-11 Interfaith Gathering at the Decatur Hotel and Conference Center on Sunday, September 11, 2011, at 5PM. Let’s stand together, united in our capacity to remember and our resolve to work for peace.)
As always, First Christian Church of Decatur, I am delighted to be your pastor. Shalom, James L. Brewer-Calvert