Today is September 11, 2012 - the 11th anniversary of the tragedy of that day. This event is seared into the memories of everyone on that day. We all remember where we were that day. This was a true event of terror and religion being used as a weapon. As we move further away from 2001 there is still a desire to remember the events of the day. While we all will not and should not forget that day, I think that we are forgetting the other events that came from that day. I remember the hatred of other that was continued - blaming all of the Jews, all of the Muslims, blaming anyone that looked Middle Eastern. We, Americans and others across the world, started to profile, detain, suspect and hate the other. We needed someone to blame, and while we knew who to blame, we decided to blame a whole group of people. This hatred and racism has only continued. True it has died down some because society has decided to hate other groups a little more currently, but we still hate. We still think it's okay that we started multiple wars without thinking about how America fueled the leaders of these horrible regimes when it served "America's" best interests. We have forgotten that although whatever happened on that day 11 years ago, we are the only ones who can be responsible for our reactions. I would argue that our response was more about getting even, the desire to make others hurt as much as we did, and the need to blame "the other" then it was about healing a nation and making the world a safer place. It is my prayer that we in society can move towards healing and holiness and let go of the need to blame, get even or hurt others. May we find compassion and love to let our grief move on past those images and videos of that day 11 years ago and into a new vision of things yet to come.
Happy New Year's Eve! 2024 is almost gone as I type this. And it's been ... a year. To whomever may be reading this know this: I'm glad you made it through 2024. You're you and you're here. That's enough. Whether you met your goal/goals or not, you survived. You're still breathing - even if it's hard to do sometimes. I'm proud of you. Keep going. Even if all you can manage is the next minute. Keep going. Here is my updates and reflection on 2024. The biggest thing for me has been my move and new ministry in Wisconsin. I said goodbye to two lovely rural Nebraska churches in February and started my new ministry in Wisconsin March 1. It was funny that I was actually attending a UCCB meeting in Ohio when I officially met my new conference minister in person on March 1. God has a sense of humor. This past 9 months has been learning about the systems of the church and the community and trying to find my place. I haven't been perfect in this, but I...
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