9/11

[ftlaudft]

When the terrorists crashed into the Twin Towers, they killed innocent men, women and children and became missionaries of hate. The terrorists thought they were martyrs for their cause and succeeded instead in turning themselves into reasons for hating their religion, Islam. Millions of us immediately had a gut reaction of desire for revenge. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. If only the terrorists had understood the words of Jesus in the Gospel of St John where he speaks of mercy, love, truth, peace and justice.

When I read the number of soldiers who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, I find it even harder to accept another word that Jesus talks about: forgiveness. And this is why I think I really ought to open and read another holy book, The Koran, and study what is revealed about mercy, love, truth, peace, justice and forgiveness, those ideals which underscore the true values of Islam. If the Grand Inquisitor had really understood what Jesus was talking about, he never could have burned at the stake one single Jew. If the terrorists had really understood what The Koran teaches, they never could have done what they did on 9/11.

As a white Lutheran, I am always puzzled at the question of how so many German Lutherans could watch the roundup and slaughter of so many Jews. What could they have done? What would have been the cost? There was of course Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great theologian, who preached a religionless Christianity. He protested. The Nazis murdered him shortly before the end of the war. But the majority did not protest and were witnesses. Is that why moderate Muslims stay silent? If they speak out, will they wind up like Bonhoeffer?

Way back when I was a young student in history class, I was further amazed at what I did NOT learn about the treatment of the American Indians. Just read "'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"" or Google "'The Indian Removal Act"" to see how white Christians were allowed to steal the homes and property of Indians, remove them, and even murder them - legally. Did anyone protest? Why, yes, there were several Methodist missionaries to the Indians who protested. What did it cost them? They were sentenced to 5 years of hard labor.

War and peace. Crime and punishment. Yet our poets and prophets and holy men and leaders have all agreed that we must learn to forgive. It's so difficult. We have to learn to forgive others. We have to forgive ourselves as well.

When I remember the dead, I pray also for those who were misguided in their own faiths, the Inquisitors and the terrorists of all ages. I bless their victims and I try to bless them also as they continue in the foreverness of God's 8th Day. It's not easy. But life is good and we have to keep going.

[TheWolf9]

As a Muslim myself, I wonder why people can't get along. I have friends from all religions, but it seems like the human race is destined to destroy itself.

[Footlover28]

As a Muslim myself, I wonder why people can't get along. I have friends from all religions, but it seems like the human race is destined to destroy itself.

Well, I'm convinced the human race is destined to destroy itself because that's what we are best in: inventing horribly effective weapons and using them killing ourselves. It's maybe hard to say that, but just look over the complete history of mankind.

And for what? For killing other people because of the so-called differences that human beings themselves "created" to justify the murder, the torture or any evil thing that comes to your mind.

For me we are all human beings and all equal!

[ftlaudft]

As Wolf9 and Footlover28 show, there are still people on the planet who try to get along with other people, other people with different backgrounds, ethnicities and religions, and there are still people who believe all humans are equal, so perhaps there is hope after all.

What breaks my heart the most are the photos of the dead soldiers who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan. The pictures of smoke around the Twin Towers are hard to take. The shots of coffins from 9/ll or the Iraq/Afghanistan wars are equally horrific. But the sight of a young face in the full bloom of life is what hurts the most, knowing that the individual has no more part of this phase of existence, no hope to share in the joys and even the sorrows of a normal human experience in the usual span of a life. It's over.

Jesus often talks about the Abundant Life, and I ask myself what we can do to give any of that Abundant Life to those who have died. We can't bring them back. But I think there is something we can do. We can live. We can live full lives, happy lives, satisfied lives. We can live the Abundant Life to the very fullest and include the esthetic, the intellectual, the social and yes, most certainly, the deepest sexual fulfillment possible. We can live joyful lives, meaningful lives, as completely and perfectly as is humanly possible. Perhaps some of the glow, some reflection of that deep human joy will reach across to those soldiers who are now in the Eternal Moment, God's 8th Day, beyond relative time. We are one. The reflection of our perfect human joys will be the bridge. Life is worth living. Sometimes I feel that those who left us too early may indeed be smiling back.