It has been 21 years to the day in which occurred the tragic events of 9/11. Imprinted upon many of our minds is where we were and what we were doing when everything happened on that horrible day. More importantly, we remember the thousands who perished and the families who are grieving such undeserved losses still, as well as the many heroes who offered themselves to assist those in peril.
But I should also like to say that I remember 9/12 and the days that followed. There was a flag adorning every house, every street, and every community space as patriotic songs played through the depths of our souls. Recognizing the value of life and the important things in it, people were moved to faith and to the common good. We were good neighbors towards each other, and we felt united.
Well, things are different now… Many such flags are packed away; some kneel for our anthem; privatization and secular culture continuously replaces faith and its values; living has given way to surviving through the all too frequent mass shootings, the lingering effects of a pandemic, and the difficulties of making ends meet amidst global supply shortages, all the while families are split apart (and not just at the border); we are hunkered down, concerned for our own good and our own individually-forged identities, withdrawing, as it were, from social affairs or even scapegoating and cancelling others furthermore; not be confused with yet another mental health crisis still, the country feels so divided… Yes, things are different now, and perhaps there are indeed just and worthy reasons for these things besides.
And yet, as we have taken the time to honor in our memory those who have been lost, so let us neither forget then the noble values and aspirations of 9/12, which in its own unique way, even in the midst of terrible distress, celebrates the great good that Americans are and still can be today.
Peace,
Fr. Luke 