An Anniversary

I remember the day. I had a daily morning routine with Deanna. She and I would meet at the

Marina

walking path around 5:30AM. We would walk for about 90 minutes or so talking about grandchildren and the church. That particular morning we noticed  in the middle of our walk that there were no airplanes in the air.  Previously we always noticed the noise and the number of planes landing at

Oakland

Airport

. Then we noticed that there were just a few of us walking which was strange because by the time we are ready to head home the track gets very crowded. We thought it peculiar and we asked, “wonder what’s going on?” 

 It was when we headed off home and turned on our radios did we hear about the tragedy in

New York

. You must have those moments when you remember what you were doing when something tragic has happened in the world or your family. Our Anniversaries, Birthdays, etc are times when we celebrate the days of importance to us. They come up every year. We remember the day of the wedding, we rarely remember our birth. I know of couples who will celebrate their week anniversary of meeting, then the anniversary changes its meaning and focus as another date takes on more importance. In my culture, after someone dies, we celebrate their life 40 days after they died and then every year on the anniversary of the death. Anniversaries are meant to recognize that day of weddings, birthdays and deaths. We tell stories, laugh, cry and in my case have a great party. 

 This anniversary is no different. For the first anniversary we had peace celebrations, community gatherings, lots of patriotic talk, a push for vengeance, energy around protecting ourselves against the “terrorists,” paranoid/schizophrenic ideas about the “others.” We remembered all the names of the 2700 plus people who died by reading each name and remembering that they mattered. But as life would have it, the significance of that day, the memory of the lives lost and the pain experienced,  diminishes as we get busy with life. Only those who have lost ones can tell you what this day means and I don’t think they would say it was about terrorists. It was about the life of a loved one who deserves to be remembered as a father, mother, brother, sister, friend. In the last minute details of conversations of those died, it wasn’t “Make sure you get the guys who did this!” but “I love you!” 

This day saddens me

because the lives lost at the

Twin

Towers

has been used to support decisions that has caused thousands of more deaths. The families of people who died in the Towers were promised great help by politicians and we said yes to a lot of money for their care. Years later, many families have not received what was promised The military heroes who come back injured have to have big political expose’s to get the care they and their families need.  . Some of those who died were invisible to our government and never will receive what other victims were promised.  Years later, those who were part of the rescue missions at the tower and lived are dying and are now fighting with insurance companies for health care.  I don’t know the number of soldiers and innocent civilians who have died because of the “terrorists” nor do I know how many “terrorists” have died. I do know that it is in the thousands. Years later, have we learned anything?

Here's what I have learned from working with politicians and gang members, we are no different than our enemy!  We have lost our commitment, if we had any, to Jesus' greatest commandments to love God and one another.  In politics, no matter what party, it is about "me getting elected"  in gangs its about "territory, respect, and retaliation."  Yes they all say its about working for their constituencies.  Some leaders in politics and gangs are good leaders and do make a difference.  Its a matter of perspective!

For this anniversary, I hope we all take time to pray and ask God for God’s leading in our lives to help us learn from the tragedies in our lives. Pray for God’s guidance to help discern where you may be of service to humankind so that “terror” is no longer used as the tool to help us make decisions. Ask God to help make you an instrument to fight the “terror” of hunger, poverty, the “isms” in this world, poor education and violence in our street. Ask God to help each one of us to face the “terrors” we each have about the world and each other and the courage to seek Jesus in the other. Ask God to continue to be a presence for those who are physically fighting the “terrors”, teachers, military personnel, principals, police, fire, emergency, social workers and all  those who in their daily lives see the effects of the “terrors” that go unchallenged.

Keep praying!!!!!  Perhaps next anniversary, we can celebrate  PEACE AT LAST! AMEN