As I write this, it’s the 12th anniversary of 9/11. I remember where I was as vividly as if it was yesterday. That morning caused many of us to come face-to-face with the sheer horror and atrocity brought forth by man. And if we look at the world in which we live a dozen years later, we continue to see strife, war and conflict all around us.
And this is nothing new. For all of mankind’s existence, there have been bloody battles and violence stemming from our beliefs and our intolerance toward those who hold opposing ones.
Trying to make sense of it makes no sense. Sure these are conflicts for power and control. I get that. But it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that strife has become the norm for so many who spew their hatred and contempt for others and that the ruthless drive for power and ego are justifications for the horrors of war.
Of course, there is another side to the story. A side that touches our collective humanity and unites us with understanding and compassion. For in all dark moments, each of us is given the opportunity to shine our light. An opportunity to do what is right, not what is popular or expected. It’s in these moments that we define what it is to be human. It is in these moments that we define who we are.
It’s not just in the battlefield of war, but on the playgrounds of schools and the corner streets of our neighborhoods that we get to decide how we are to be defined. Do we stand up to the prejudice, intolerance and abuse of others or do we simply turn away not wanting to get involved? Do we fight for justice or leave it to others to do the work? Do we embrace our humanity and look for a positive way to make a difference or do we contribute to the problem?
I’m reminded of Pastor Niemoller’s quote. Niemoller, himself, was a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II:
First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
And then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.
Niemoller later spoke of his uneasiness when the Nazis came for the different groups. Yet, like so many, he did nothing. Where would you stand, given the same horrific circumstances of Nazi Germany? While you will not have to make that decision, you will be tested in your life on many occasions. Do you stand up and face the potential consequences or do you just feel uneasy and hope that things will work out the way they should?
To those who we lost in 9/11, I am forever humbled and saddened. I cannot bring you back. I cannot erase the pain and suffering that this nation and your families have lived with for the past 12 years. I cannot even promise that such atrocities will not continue to plague man for his remaining reign on earth. But I can strengthen my own resolve to live each day in a way that brings honor to you and to the humanity we all share. For in our hour of darkness, we are united and we can choose to stand together for what is right and for what is just.
Just over 50 years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. A dream that didn’t tolerate injustice for any man or woman. A dream that this great nation of ours could live up to its creed – “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
We have not lived up to his dream, but that doesn’t mean the dream is not worth holding onto. It means that our own fight against injustice must be vigilant and the answer lies within what connects us as humans, not what tears us apart. It means that each of us has more work to do.
