11 years ago traveling through airports was easier, meeting people of Arab decent was less cautionary, and more of us thought that everybody loved the United States.

9/11 changed all that.  And now, as we mark its tenth anniversary, we reflect on how things have changed and must change for us to move farther along the road of healing, to avoid anything like that again, and to importantly, consider what God is up to in all of this.

Of course, we can’t stop twisted people from doing twisted things.  We cannot change others, we can only change ourselves, and looking more closely at our own place in the world is a good place to start. 

The fact that most Americans self-identify as Christians yet cannot name all four Gospels is well documented.  North American Christianity is historically, and notoriously, an inch deep and a mile wide.  Reacting, then to a religiously motivated act with shallow roots in our own religion, not surprisingly yields a less than satisfactory response – of which there have been many.  The solution to bad religion then, is not more bad religion, or no religion, but good religion.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, we are reminded that ‘good religion’ is about forgiveness and reconciliation.  It is about turning the other cheek and forgiving 7 times 70.  It is about cherishing peace above retribution and humility over vengeance.  Our world desperately needs ‘good religion’ – and we are all called to spread it. So may we mark this dark anniversary with a renewed pledge to reach for the light – to get more serious about our work of reconciliation, humility, and love.  Ten years later there are still evil people planning evil things – so let the good people plan good things.

Reading

Rambam’s Ladder – Julie Soloman

At the Still Point – Sarah Arthur

The Thank You Economy – Gary Vanyerchuk

image by Noel Sikes, Conyers, GA