A decade ago today thousands of people were killed in New York. Hundreds more were killed in Pennsylvania and Washington. Some of them were the partners of people reading this; others were their daughters, or sons. Or their sisters, or brothers. Or mothers, or fathers, uncles or aunts. Still others were friends, or colleagues. Or perhaps someone you’d once met at a party, or with whom you occasionally shared an elevator. Most were unknown to you (especially since North Americans comprise only about 70% of this blog’s readership), and quite possibly lived in a country oceans away from wherever it is you call home. Yet regardless of your relationship to them (or lack thereof) they mattered. Not least because they were human, and to be human is to be made of the same stuff as God incarnate.
And today they are gone. But not forgotten.
Maybe someday I’ll find the right words to say more than that: God knows I’ve been trying for the past week to write something more profound, something which might – albeit in just the smallest of ways – offer consolation to those grieving. But nothing seems to come out how I want it. In a perfect world I could bring some sort of meaning to the evil which is death at the hands of murderous young men under the delusion which is fundamentalism (irrespective of the theological façade – Muslim, Christian, Hindu, or whatever – it’s invariably young men who are the most eager to taste blood, just as it is a much smaller group of old men who spur them on, and women who are forced into subserviently keeping the whole diabolical performance operational). But then again, in a perfect world September 11, 2001 would have been just another day.
Nor in a perfect world would fundamentalists continue killing people. Granted, flying aircraft into buildings is (blessedly) rare, but most fundamentalist murderers prefer the vastly more efficient modus operandi of preventing the victims from living as themselves, free from fear, persecution, and shame. By denying their right to affordable health care, or education, or contraception, or equal employment. In a perfect world the obscene sexism of euphemisms like “complementarianism” would be as archaic as the hideous racism of “peculiar institution”. And the Christ who brought hope to the powerless would never - but never - be perversely conscripted into the service of those who would have us believe that the Sermon on the Mount was “Blessed are those who are the doctrinal heirs of the Pharisees”.
But I’m drifting off-topic again. Because all I really wanted this post to say is that those who are gone are not forgotten. And because they are not forgotten, it is love, not evil, which shall triumph. If today you are grieving – for whatever reason – please know that you do not grieve alone.
Father Mychal Judge inspire us.
Saint Mychal pray for us.
Holy Spirit be among us.
13 comments :
Beautiful words Fr Christian. Thank you, and God bless you.
Thank you...bless all of us as we trudge along.
Leonardo Ricardo
Inspiring and meaningful words, Father.
Thanks for this... There is a time to grieve and remember and I think a decade on from the horrors of 9/11 is a fitting time to do so. Alas, here in London the memorial service in Grosvenor Square was marred by the intolerant and conceited (why does religion sometimes become a vehicle for pious conceit? – see http://faithisnotthesameasreligion1.blogspot.com/2011/09/enough-is-enough.html on my blog for my thinking on this). So often our Fundamentalist friends tells us they are zealous for God, Allah or whatever – but so often they are frequently the ‘haves’ of society who are hungry for political power, but lack the legitimate means of achieving it, so veil their desires in piety and religious ideology – I doubt this is always a conscious decision, but the motivation is there whatever. How health insurance company bosses, Saudi princes and Presidential campaign managers must rejoice as they see such devout souls doing the groundwork for them – using religion to excuse a world of haves and have-nots, men oppressing women, the rich and the powerful, the ‘us’ and the ‘them’, division, not unity, hate not love...
I always like it when you show your serious side.
Most of the time, Brad Evans (aka 'Nixon is Lord' above), your comments are welcome here: every village needs an idiot, and, while monotonous, your manic obsessions give the place a sense of bizarre color. Besides, we both know there aren't any other religious-oriented blogs that let your comments see the light of day, and I take pride in this place being different.
However your latest efforts have crossed the line in such a way as to show that deep down you're just a very nasty little man. I've told you before to seek professional help, and you replied by claiming that you are. If that's true - and your deleted filth suggest that you're such a small and grubby individual it's hard to believe you're capable of saying anything truthful - then I can only respond by urging you to seek more help.
Life's too precious to waste it by being as small-minded and loathsome as you. Call yourself an atheist if labeling yourself that way makes you happy, but stop wallowing in the small cesspit of your own bitterness.
Fr Troll
Have you heard that Australia now has its own organisation which is aimed at promoting the inclusion of LGBTI people within the Australian Anglican Church.I never thought it would happen! It's called Changing Attitudes Australia, Inc. They are looking for members.
Once again, Brad (re: deleted comment above), your narcissistic fixations have prevented you from understanding what others are saying. The help you are urged to seek is purely secular, and involves balancing your meds and/or working through your anxieties.
As I wrote earlier, nobody here minds if you’d like to think of yourself as an atheist: it’s the dismal monotony of your obsessions which is tiresome. Not to mention how way you have begun airing them reveals you as so pathetically small and grubby.
You are gentle, angry people/and you are fighting, fighting for your lives.........
Nice article, thanks for sharing.
Fr. Troll,
What do you make of the hubbub in in SC? +Lawrence seems like a sneaky fellow. At least that is my take away when I worked with him in Pittsburgh low these many years ago. As a devout bible believing man of God, you must have an opinion about this doctrinal warrior.
Fr. Maxwell Smart+
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