9/11

I am proud to be a native of Colorado.  Born in Denver and a citizen of the United States of America, I am grateful for the freedom that I have to practice my faith and seek to live  the values of the gospel.  It is unfortunate that we have yet to learn that these values given to us by Jesus Christ enable us to live lives of great peace and joy.  

How profound is the gospel message today.  For the last decade the end of the Summer has meant recalling the memory of 9/11 and the overwhelming shock, pain, mistrust and fear that has aggressively changed our lives and which has ended the world as we knew it.

I remember back on September 11, 2001, watching the television and hearing that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York.  I knew at that very moment this was not an accident.  Our pilots know better.  As I watched in horror, I knew this was the end of things as I knew them.  When the second plane hit the second tower of the World Trade Center, my suspicions were confirmed.

Our lives have been changed because many innocent lives were lost, our trust has diminished and our fear increased.  Anger, hatred, fear, judgement are negative hurtful things that can grow to such an enormous extent that great harm can be done when they are out of control.

Today’s gospel reminds us of the values we hold as a people of faith.  They may not be in line with the worlds values.  But remembering this great tragedy should only convict us more in the values of our faith, recalling that mercy, forgiveness, compassion are the very foundation by which we should live and how we treat others.  Jesus suffered and died on the cross, giving His entire self, for the forgiveness of our sins.  That is mercy and forgiveness at its ultimate best.

Shortly after 9/11 The Fantastiks closed in New York.  One of the longest running plays,  it was famous for the song, “Try To Remember,” with its first line stating, “Try to remember that kind of September when life was slow and oh so mellow.”  

Let this be a time for us to remember back to those days of innocence and find our way to the heart of Jesus so that fear, anger, judgement and misguided aggressive behavior may not rule our hearts.  Rather let our hearts we ruled by compassion and mercy.  May we never hold a grudge so long as to cause the weight of destruction in our world.  Let us not stand in judgement of another...at least until we can “walk on water.”