The Journey 254: 9/11 America Remembers
Read: Psalms 46
Re-Remembering 9/11. As September 11th comes, every citizen in this country are compelled to remember that fateful day in history. A day when not only the people from this nation was shaken but people from every nation. As the Word Trade Centre crumbled, what was also crumbling was the hopes of ordinary citizens who wanted a peaceful world, where people from every nation, culture and religion could live peacefully, co-existing with each other. I still remember vividly the videos the WTC falling, anger and other emotions welled up even when sitting miles and miles away in a different continent, thinking as to how a few people, who are misguided in the name of commitment to a particular reading of the demands of a particular religion wreaked havoc on humanity. What is the sad part of the whole episode is that the perpetrators of this ghastly crime is dead but the after effects of that crime is reaped by generations of this world. One of the truths that we tend to forget is that every action of ours is connected to the life of others and to this world and hence every action that we do should be those that brings goodness and blessing in the life of others. We all think that we have a life of our own, but the truth is that we are connected in the most intricate way to each other in this world and that is how God has created this world and humanity. Secondly the whole myth that the strength of a nation is in its armory, in its financial capability and it these myths that were exposed on 9/11. As we remember 9/11, we need to examine as where our true security lies and how we need to reiterate that in every positive and a negative action that we do, we are sowing its effect to the next generations.
We are meditating on the theme “ Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Psalms 46. The Psalmist talks about the true security and the true foundation of human life, that one should look up to in life as we go through the most the painful and crisis filled situation. The Psalmist says that in the most crisis filled situations, when the nations and also people wage war against each other, we need to remember that it is in God that we find our true security. It is this perspective that God is our security that will redefine the perspective of life. Many a times people feel that the true security is in the country that I live, the armory that the country boast of, the financial security that one has. But on 9/11 what God teaches us that it is not the country that you live that assures you of your security in life, it is not the job that you have that gives you the security in life neither is the insurance that you hold and the bank balance that you have which gives you the true security in life. What is important today is to understand that when I put my security and my trust in the Lord, it helps me to understand my true security in life. It is this understanding of security that teaches us that our life is inter connected with our fellow citizen in this world. When I do good, the influence of the goodness is spread around bringing blessing and cheer all around. But if my intentions is selfish and harmful not only do I bring harm and destruction to my life but also to my fellow citizens and to the generations of this world. Hence our life should be lived in such way that we live responsibly, living in inter connected relationship whereby every action of mine only brings blessing and hope to others. As the WTC crashed what brought about was not only the destruction of the two towers but also the destruction of the trust and the hope that human being had for each other. Hence at this time of history, let us take refuge in God through whom we find the true security in life, and also consciously reaffirming that our life is connected to our fellow citizens in this world and that we should always be a channel of hope and blessing to others. It is when each individual in this earth lives life in this perspective that we can conquer the satanic and the evil forces in this world thus bringing God’s reign on this earth.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla
Re-Remembering 9/11. As September 11th comes, every citizen in this country are compelled to remember that fateful day in history. A day when not only the people from this nation was shaken but people from every nation. As the Word Trade Centre crumbled, what was also crumbling was the hopes of ordinary citizens who wanted a peaceful world, where people from every nation, culture and religion could live peacefully, co-existing with each other. I still remember vividly the videos the WTC falling, anger and other emotions welled up even when sitting miles and miles away in a different continent, thinking as to how a few people, who are misguided in the name of commitment to a particular reading of the demands of a particular religion wreaked havoc on humanity. What is the sad part of the whole episode is that the perpetrators of this ghastly crime is dead but the after effects of that crime is reaped by generations of this world. One of the truths that we tend to forget is that every action of ours is connected to the life of others and to this world and hence every action that we do should be those that brings goodness and blessing in the life of others. We all think that we have a life of our own, but the truth is that we are connected in the most intricate way to each other in this world and that is how God has created this world and humanity. Secondly the whole myth that the strength of a nation is in its armory, in its financial capability and it these myths that were exposed on 9/11. As we remember 9/11, we need to examine as where our true security lies and how we need to reiterate that in every positive and a negative action that we do, we are sowing its effect to the next generations.
We are meditating on the theme “ Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Psalms 46. The Psalmist talks about the true security and the true foundation of human life, that one should look up to in life as we go through the most the painful and crisis filled situation. The Psalmist says that in the most crisis filled situations, when the nations and also people wage war against each other, we need to remember that it is in God that we find our true security. It is this perspective that God is our security that will redefine the perspective of life. Many a times people feel that the true security is in the country that I live, the armory that the country boast of, the financial security that one has. But on 9/11 what God teaches us that it is not the country that you live that assures you of your security in life, it is not the job that you have that gives you the security in life neither is the insurance that you hold and the bank balance that you have which gives you the true security in life. What is important today is to understand that when I put my security and my trust in the Lord, it helps me to understand my true security in life. It is this understanding of security that teaches us that our life is inter connected with our fellow citizen in this world. When I do good, the influence of the goodness is spread around bringing blessing and cheer all around. But if my intentions is selfish and harmful not only do I bring harm and destruction to my life but also to my fellow citizens and to the generations of this world. Hence our life should be lived in such way that we live responsibly, living in inter connected relationship whereby every action of mine only brings blessing and hope to others. As the WTC crashed what brought about was not only the destruction of the two towers but also the destruction of the trust and the hope that human being had for each other. Hence at this time of history, let us take refuge in God through whom we find the true security in life, and also consciously reaffirming that our life is connected to our fellow citizens in this world and that we should always be a channel of hope and blessing to others. It is when each individual in this earth lives life in this perspective that we can conquer the satanic and the evil forces in this world thus bringing God’s reign on this earth.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla