This weekend we remember the 20th anniversary of the attacks on our nation – attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania that have left their mark on our country, the world, and in the hearts of far too many innocent people. As we listened to the stories and witnessed the heart-wrenching sadness of those who mourned the loss of life or lives of loved ones, we felt so helpless and ill-equipped to deal with a tragedy of such magnitude, and that had far-reaching implications.
In our society we are used to dealing with problems logically and with all the technology available to us. But we learned very quickly that technology has no solution for a broken heart. There was no magic formula to eliminate the emptiness that came from such a loss. We found ourselves posing the question: How do we who mourn get on with what sometimes seems like the chore of living? The only answer we had then – the only one that still makes any sense today – is that we cling to faith, which provides hope. Faith allows us to go on because we believe that nothing or no one in this world can take away that which is given to us by God. Yet, even this didn’t take away the heartache of grief. It didn’t take away the sense of inadequacy as we wondered what we could do, and then realized how little we had to offer. Faith is what gave us a reason and the ability and desire to find the joy of life. As we searched for answers and the ability to resume our day-to-day living over these past years we saw signs of God’s love – sometimes in the valiant and heroic sacrifice of others, sometimes in the kindness, generosity and compassion poured out by so many to the suffering, many times in the prayers that were offered so constantly as people publicly and steadfastly clung to their faith.
As a community of faith and a nation, we continue to pray that our faith will always grow. We continue to pray for all who have died, for those who still mourn, for our families and friends, and for peace and justice in our world.