| "We have lived this past week through something that was truly an apocalyptic horror. The images are, I am sure, burned into all of our brains. I do not know who could possibly not know what has happened. Indeed people around the world have shared our story. Before the service I shared with you the letter from our sister church in South Africa. Last Tuesday, as events were unfolding here in New York City, their community was gathered for a memorial service for some of their own people, and yet the news came to them in far-off South Africa, and they stopped to pray. A friend called me from India just yesterday to tell me that we are being held in prayer there, and also to say that the news broadcasts there are two minutes about India and fifty-eight minutes about the United States." The world is sharing our pain over this apocalyptic horror, which has posed for us all kinds of religious questions-questions that challenge our faith. Where was God? What was God doing? Why did God allow this to happen? And yet at the same time as events have raised these questions that challenge the very basis of our faith and create doubt in our mind and heart-at the very same time there has also been such a quickening of spirituality in our midst. Look around you and see how many more of you are here than we would have expected on an ordinary Sunday. And during the week we would stick signs on the bulletin board saying "Prayer Service at 12:30 and 5:30," and people came. People came to turn to God in prayer, and to find some affirmation of good in the face of evil. It's much too soon for anybody to organize a systematic essay on what has happened and what it means, but I want to share with you, from my heart today, a few thoughts-bulleted items, if you will, paragraphs." 1. We have seen many religious heroes this week, in addition to the so-called "religious" terrorists. And if we focus on those heroes we get to the heart of what religion really is. Let me lift up for you some of those religious heroes that we have seen. First and foremost among them: the firefighters and emergency medical technicians of our city-350 of them missing and presumed dead, persons who gave their lives for the sake of others, being Christ to their neighbors. We will see a series of funerals for them, in which I hope there will be strong affirmations that these ordinary people proved in their lives and in their deaths to be religious figures who should be for us examples-persons willing to risk their lives in order to find the lost, in order to try to save others. I think also of those passengers on United Flight #93 as religious leaders who, in a sense, invited their own deaths in order to save others-challenging the forces of evil that they were experiencing on their flight, not letting that evil go unchallenged, and thereby saving the lives of many others. These were people whose deeds show us they knew how to work to prevent evil from accomplishing its goal, even at the cost of their own lives. I think also of the example of Howard Lutnik, the chairman of the firm Cantor Fitzgerald, which lost some 700 employees on the top stories of one of the towers. Lutnik himself lost a brother, and he himself was spared only because he had gone to deliver his five-year-old son to a new school that day. Lutnik is not a man otherwise reputed for his religious nature, but I think he has proved to be a religious hero in this, for he has announced that the families of his employees who've been killed are now new "partners" in the firm, that some of the profits of the firm, whatever they might be in the future, will go to help sustain and support the families of those who perished in the fire. He has shown commitment to family, the family of the workplace. Truly, that is a religious model for us all. 2. A second series of reflections. I want to reflect on the first part of the gospel lesson that I just shared. Jesus reminds us that if we are going to build towers and if we are going to go to war then we need to know what we are doing. We need to prepare. We need to figure out what it will cost, and what we want to accomplish in the end. I think this is a good lesson for us as we contemplate as a city how we're going to rebuild: take our time, and really make the best plans. And also, as we contemplate as a nation going to war, what is it that we need to do in order to be sure that what we accomplish is in fact justice and not vengeance. Among the questions I think we need to pause to ask ourselves, the questions our leaders need to pause to ask themselves, are these. How does one go to war against something other than a nation that has an address and a phone number? How does one oppose this evil in a Christ-like way? How do we oppose evil without becoming evil ourselves? I believe it will take us weeks if not months to figure out how to achieve justice without giving in to vengeance. Now, you have all heard the same frightening comments I have heard this week. Senator Zell Miller of Georgia: "I say bomb the hell out of them. If there's collateral damage, so be it." Truly frightening! Our souls are at stake as well as our bodies. And then there was Paul Wolfowitz speaking of "ending states" who sponsor terrorism. One of the sad things is that the people who live in such states-Iraq, Iran, the Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria-the people who live in those states are very largely victims of their own government. And any plan to carpet-bomb, or anything like that, will just further victimize these people. How can we avoid collateral damage? There are 175 million people who live in these so-called "terrorist" states, in which only a very few people are terrorists. How can we confront evil without losing our own souls? Terrorism is a cancer. It does need to be eradicated. But to do that we must have a plan, and wisdom, God's wisdom as well as our own human wisdom. I pray that we will take the time needed to plan well. It is only human to be filled with rage, but it is also a sign of maturity not to react on the basis of our rage-to let our rage inform our sense of justice, but to let our actions be calculated to achieve worthy ends and God's purposes. We can see what unthinking, vengeful actions have already led us to in our country-just within our own country, let alone anyone outside our country. Firebombings of American mosques. The slaying last night of a Sikh, an American Sikh-a member of a religious group from India that wears turbans and beards, not at all like the turban of Osama Bin Laden, not at all like the beard of Osama Bin Laden. But somehow amidst our anger "turban and beard" has come to mean "terrorist." Madness, madness-lashing out against fellow Americans to vent our rage. How can we save our own souls and keep our self-respect? Even here in our own city we have seen that in our schools Muslim students have been victimized, terrorized, by their fellow students. And many parents of both Muslim and Sikh students are keeping their children home, out of harm's way. People, please. At least 300 Muslims, American Muslims, innocent Muslims, died in those towers. They have had a share in the suffering. They, too, are numbered among the victims in this war inaugurated by so-called "Muslims." One of the tragedies, you see, is that just as there is a struggle between us and these terrorists, there is also a struggle within Islam as faithful Muslims seek to rescue the true tradition of Islam, to not allow Islam to be hijacked by terrorists. We need to be sympathetic with our Muslim sisters and brothers who are struggling to maintain Islam as a religion of peace, and not let it become a religion of violence. Let us remember that we need to be supportive of those Muslims who are seeking to reclaim their faith from terrorists. I was very touched by the fact that the pictures of prayer services being held around the world included scenes of Muslims gathered in prayer in various places-Los Angeles, New Jersey, even Palestinian children in Hebron. I was quite moved by the picture in the centerfold of yesterday's New York Times showing those children, with candles and New York t-shirts, gathered at a vigil for those who lost their lives in our city. Islam is not our enemy. Terrorism is. Muslims are not our enemies. Fanatics are our enemies. The Qur'an teaches that in the sight of God the death of one innocent person is like the death of the whole world. And as Islam is ripped apart by fanatics who are seeking to wrestle control of that religion from more moderate Muslims, we need to hold Islam in prayer. We must also seek to build coalitions with moderate Arab states in the Middle East. I have had reports from Egypt and other places that American tourists have for the first time in a number of years been warmly greeted on the streets by ordinary Egyptians wanting to express their sympathy and condolences. Sympathy for our sorrow is everywhere in the world, including in these moderate Arab states. We need to plan wisely in order to turn that sympathy into a positive outcome as we seek to oppose evil and enforce justice. We need to make allies of our Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East-not enemies. We must avoid the kinds of actions against Muslim nations that do not distinguish between those who are terrorists and those who are not. Again, we need to ask ourselves a series of important questions. Why are these fanatics, why are these terrorists, growing in numbers? What is it that they are appealing to in the hearts and minds of otherwise good Muslim people to change them from goodness to evil? What is it that they are able to prey upon and to build upon in order to accomplish that? What are the sources of dissatisfaction among so many peoples in the world? Well, many of them are feeling left out of the global economy. Many of them see these images of America and see images of what they consider to be a disproportionate wealth, images of what they consider to be an excessive use of the Earth's resources. If we are going to oppose fanatics and terrorists, then we need to attack root causes and not think that taking off any one man's head is the solution. It is not the solution. Terrorism is hydra-headed. You cut off one, and three grow in its place. We need to address root causes. We need to consider how America can become a partner with the world, with the dispossessed peoples of the world? We need to consider how we turn people's yearnings toward democracy and away from fanaticism, turn their yearning for well-being toward living in a civil society rather than committing acts of terrorism. And so when I hear Jesus saying in the first part of today's gospel lesson that we must plan well before undertaking our task, these are some of the thoughts that I have had. We need to figure out who our enemy really is and how best to undercut them and bring them to justice without just taking the first easy solution that comes to mind. 3. Next bulleted item. We have also today the wonderful text about the shepherd pursuing the lost sheep. As I said earlier, one of the religious questions that this apocalyptic horror has raised is, "Where is God in all of this?" Well, certainly part of the answer to that question is that God is present in the firefighters, in the emergency medical technicians, in the city police, in the Port Authority police, in the doctors and nurses who greeted the gurneys at St. Vincent's hospital and other places, in the chaplains who ministered to the needs of those patients, and in the firefighters. As I have viewed the televised images of these heroic workers, I have seen in them the face and hands of Christ, that is, of God. I have seen in them Christ seeking the lost. Now, I fully believe that everyone who is lost will be found, but "found" in different senses of that word. Some who are lost will be found alive-a few, a very few. And these will be led by their shepherd-whether it's a fireman or whoever-to home, and to the joyful embrace of which Jesus's parable speaks. But many will not be "found" in that sense of the word, for many of the lost have died and perished. And yet at the heart of our Christian faith lies the belief that to these dead Christ has also come, "finding" them and bringing them "home"-that is, to their heavenly home, where they are now in the loving embrace of God. That is a dimension of meaning to Jesus's parable that I have never before contemplated, but I think it is genuinely present. I believe this dimension is something we are being led to see by the fact that this text is the assigned gospel that's being read today in most Christian churches around the world. Christ does find us, whether it is to lead us to our earthly home or whether it is to lead us to our heavenly home. Christ does find us and does bring us to the joyful banquet of God, whether on earth or in heaven. So I have seen the face of Christ in the rescue workers who are seeking to restore people to their earthly home, but I have also caught a vision of Christ the Shepherd coming to each and every one of those who have perished. 4. One last set of issues. What can we do? I suppose that's the question I've been asked the most this past week. What can we do? Let me share with you briefly these six suggestions. First, accept our feelings of anger and rage-they are real-but don't act on them in violent and vengeful ways. Resist the temptation to hate all Muslims. In fact, I would urge us to reach out to them. Many of us have seen or passed mosques. Inside those mosques, here in the city of New York, are people who are hurting, in pain. Go in. Introduce yourself. Speak to them, and say, " I share your pain. I know how painful it must be to have such a different vision of Islam from those who have hijacked your faith, how difficult it must be to be the object of hateful looks and stares from others of us as we pass by you in the street." Speak to your Muslim friends and colleagues wherever they are. Express your solidarity with them, just as they have been expressing their solidarity with other Americans. One of our members, Bob Shelton, was on the 56th floor of the South Tower when the first plane hit the other tower. He immediately began his descent and did escape. When he came here to the church later than afternoon, one thing he said to me was: "I hope I may be kept from hatred. I hope I may be kept from hatred." I think that this fervent prayer should be on all of our lips. A second task we can do is to try to understand the root causes of other people's anger at our nation, to try to understand the pain and the frustration and the sense of powerlessness that surrounds so many other people. And then, when we've come to some insights from reflecting on root causes, a third thing we can do is to write letters to our President, to our senators, to our congressperson, urging them to also consider the root causes and to take their time-to seek justice, to punish the guilty, but to take their time to find the best and most appropriate response so that the result of our actions will be peace in the future, and not just a never-ending spiral of violence. A fourth thing we can do. Be present for your colleagues, your friends. Be present with those who have lost a friend or loved one. Sometimes we shy away from people who are in such deep grief because we don't know what to say. And that is natural, for who does know what to say? Even professional grief counselors often do not know exactly what to say in the face of such calamitous loss. But "being there" for others is more than half of ministry. Being there-holding the hand, giving a hug, sharing time. And if conversation does develop, then encourage them to speak about their loved one, to remember, to tell their stories, to share their feelings. Just listen to them speak, with sympathy and understanding, and be sure to give that hug. In the face of evil, we all need to know that love is alive, that goodness is there. Be good to your neighbor. Love them. That will help them to heal. Fifth, take plenty of time on your own to pray. Many people say, "What do I say? I'm not very practiced in this." Again, the words are not that important. The Spirit prays through our sighs; the Spirit prays for us, if we but turn ourselves to God. And God understands the depth of our anguish without our having to say a word. Prayer is really being present with God, taking the time to be present with God. First, in the silence of our prayers, let our hearts turn in prayer to our enemies as well as to our friends, praying that God may indeed change our enemies' hearts from hatred to love. And second, let us pray for ourselves and for the president and for our leaders that we may indeed walk in paths of righteousness and not in paths of self-righteousness. There are many interfaith services still coming up, and I hope that you will be able to attend one or more of these. Here on the West Side an interfaith service of prayer, including all religious faiths represented here on the West Side, will be held this Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Holy Name Catholic Church, at 96th and Amsterdam. There is a sheet in your bulletin telling you about that service. And next Sunday, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon there will be a variety of interfaith services of prayer, one in each of the five boroughs and a large gathering at Yankee Stadium. Some people expect hundreds of thousands of people to attend these various services, as the city turns to God for guidance. That's 3 o'clock next Sunday. Finally, sixth, in the face of all the tragedy, what we can do is hold firm to our faith in God as the foundation for our lives. And, in that spirit, of holding firm to faith in God, let me close my reflections this morning by sharing with you these verses from Psalm 46: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea.… God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; … [but] the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." |
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