If you are in my loop, these past few weeks have moved pretty quickly for us. We said goodbye to many dear friends, moved from New Jersey to Massachusetts and my wife delivered a healthy baby girl we named Janelle Catherine – all of this in the last two weeks.
A lot of our stuff is still in boxes, we can barely find Target on the first try (even with GPS), my church office is disorganized and we have countless loose ends that need tying up. Despite all that, this has been among the best two weeks of our lives. Susan is doing better in this c-section recovery than her first, this baby cries less than the other two (at least for now), my in-laws have been an incredible help, the new church staff have been so welcoming, we’ve met a number of kind church-attenders and I know where the french press is right now (and the Starbucks closest to my office has a Clover machine. Blessed ;)
Time moves so differently when you are in and out of a hospital and making major transitions but even still September 11th was on my mind. I haven’t been able to tune in to the frenzy on tv and on social media but I have been reflecting on a couple of thoughts regarding the ten year anniversary.
I’m still horrified by the events of it. I remember so much without the aid of Youtube. I still grieve over the loss of life of that day and the many has a result of that day which include rescue/clean-up workers dealing with the effects of that day, soldiers, innocent civilians and hostile enemies. I still grieve the emotional pain that we faced and continue to face. I still grieve the evil in our hearts.
A lot has changed in so many ways. The most significant for Susan and I is that since 2008, we now have 3 children. I used to think that every parent wanted world peace because they simply wanted their child to grow up as safe as possible – I now understand that it’s much more to that. Similar to all parents, I want them to have it better than me (though my life is extremely blessed); I certainly don’t want them to have it worse (that’s among the biggest threats of 9/11). I want my children to have as great of an experience in this life as possible – I think this is the highest instance of Christian stewardship.
I was fortunate to have received a good bit of perspective last year as I hosted a couple reflection nights on the events of 9/11. One was with our young adults at a Second Mile gathering and one was with our students at a discussion night in October. Both nights included similarities and a variety of thoughts and emotions. Many at the Second Mile gathering were still processing (some families were personally affected) and I know this weekend was difficult for them and they are in my prayers. Many of our students were in early elementary school and listening to their thoughts was quite interesting. The predominant thought in our youth group was though forgiveness seemed so difficult, it was so necessary.
The post 9-11 world has changed so many things and not just at the airport. There is more paranoia, more suspicion and I’d add, a lot of racial profiling, outright racism and a fair amount of hate and anger. That said, the post-9-11 world has allowed for many needed conversations as well. Countless of people have engaged in dialogue that they may not thought necessary prior to that fateful day. There are many who have confronted their racism, paranoia, and resentment. Even better are those that have relied on the grace of God to do so (it’s my contention that you cannot understand truly begin to understand and experience forgiveness unless you humbly approach it from God’s perspective. A perspective that takes a remainder of a lifetime to live out and among the reasons why Jesus said that we must forgive our offender 70 times 70).
As I am attempt to be live my life led by the Spirit in the way of Jesus to bring glory to the Father, I am trying to practice being a peacemaker and being a person who wants at the very least to recognize himself as a person of forgiveness. Even more, I pray my children and my friends’ children will be even greater peacemakers, redeemers and dreamers filled with the love of Jesus that a post-9/11 world desperately needs.
Great points on peacemaking and letting a crisis moment either form and shape us into who God wants us to be or let the crisis consume us.