As this brutal and oppressive summer finally winds down, I head outside to assess the shrubs, flowers and grass. Much of it is damaged. Much is beyond repair.
It will be a big job to change it, but it will look differently after I replant. More heat hardy plants, those needing less water and attention. I will learn from this difficult summer, and honor those lessons well. But I will not stop gardening just because this weather all but destroyed the land, because gardening brings joy and life and hope.
As I survey this situation, and start making future plans, the heaviness of the 10th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, hang over my heart. As are many churches and larger ecumenical groups, we here in Krum will have a service of remembrance on Sunday. Much greater death and destruction caused by such evil acts must also not be permitted to ultimately remove our joy and life and hope.
I understand ongoing anger and grief. We are not the same nation we were ten years ago. Any idea that we have a special place in God’s plan that would keep us untouched by attack on our lands has been forever dispelled. The idea that we are more progressive, more religious, more blessed than others is an unattractive arrogance that leaves a stench in the nostrils of much of the world.
And so, the pain and anger lingers on, fueled by real fear. I was in NYC’s LaGuardia Airport on November 12, 2001. I’d gone to see a special friend–one who, if she had not followed her pattern of habitual lateness, would have been driving directly past the World Trade Towers when the first plane hit. After my visit with her, and a brief trip to the devastated site of the attacks, I was ready to fly home. As we prepared to board, I noticed a flight attendant dissolve in tears from some news on a phone call. Suddenly, the entire airport was in a lock-down state. Another flight had just gone down a ways from JFK airport, and the immediate assumption was another terrorist attack. Fear gripped the area, until later investigation disproved that.
I’ll never forget the look of despair on that flight attendant’s face. She had just lost more colleagues and friends, as everyone on that flight had perished. We asked: has the way of life we have known, based on freedom and trust with general agreement on common and necessary regulations, also ended forever?
I don’t think there has been much national healing in the last ten years. We are more suspicious; freedoms disappear daily; and we as a nation have participated in the destruction of other countries and peoples by our human need for blame and revenge.
So the cycle of hatred perpetuates itself. One cannot stomp out hatred by more hatred. It will never work. It only escalates–and unless that cycle is stopped, we will destroy in time everything that is precious and holy to us.
Someone must stop the cycle. Humanly, it is very hard to stop fearing and hating when we have been so hurt ourselves. This is why the Scriptures say that vengeance belongs only to God. Only the intentional setting down of hatred and taking active steps toward reconciliation will bring healing to not only our nation, but to the world.
I hope we can do it. I also hope everyone will find a place of worship this weekend, and join the huge community of those who are seeking peace on this 10th anniversary of horror and pain. Would it really be too much to set aside all other activities for a couple of hours and prayerfully consider the possibility of a better way of living and of dying? Otherwise, we are in danger of losing our national soul and taking the world down with us.
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