9/11 — 10 Years Later

I initially wrote a post about my experience 10 years ago. But, having been only involved emotionally and over long distance, I figure that story is less interesting and better suited for my journal.

My perspective 10 years later– that’s more interesting to me. Because America has been through a lot since then, and I’ve learned and grown a lot since then as well.

Two days ago I began reflecting on the events of 9/11 and how they unfolded (I had downloaded a 9/11 Memorial app earlier in the month and was just getting around to browsing it). Like most everyone, I’ve seen the aerial footage of the planes hitting and the towers collapsing. It still brings back one of the most vivid days in my memory.

But later that day I was looking for information about the collapse of the towers. I had not recalled that they had collapsed so quickly after being struck by the planes– perhaps because that day seemed to go in slow motion. I came across a video shot from the ground level not many blocks from the tower. This footage was so much more poignant than what I’d seen repeated over and over 10 years ago.

People on the ground were already bewildered, upset and in shock, but when that building came tumbling down, it was pandemonium. The reaction of the people, the sheer horror and terror, was palpable. The screams of those people turning and fleeing still haunt me. Instantly, lack of realism in every movie I’ve seen about disaster or destruction became obvious. It felt like the world was ending, and tears welled up in my eyes for what people directly affected by this disaster went through. My heart aches for them, and I’m filled with gratitude for those who willingly sacrificed their own lives to save others.

Perhaps it’s because this is the first time I’ve meditated on 9/11 to any extent since 2002, but the reality of it really hit home. And now, 10 years later, I can see the good and bad that’s come from it.

While as a people we were initially united by the tragedy and drawn towards God, those in power saw an opportunity and sought to use fear, anger and hate to drastically expand their power, start unjustified wars, and correspondingly reduce individual liberty (and that’s putting it really simply and glossing over a lot of the last 10 years). Even if we’re to give them the benefit of the doubt… the drastic measures taken since 9/11 would likely still be political posturing, for they would not wish to be seen as weak or incompetent by doing nothing.

It brought me no comfort to learn of Usama Bin Laden’s demise earlier this year. The people lost that day cannot be brought back, and we’d been led down a path by terrorists that doesn’t change simply because he is dead. The freedom we have lost will not easily be won back. The distrust, the hate, the pain that has entered into people’s hearts will not easily be removed.

So this is what I see, 10 years later:

You cannot conquer hate with hate.
You cannot fight fear with fear.
Like begets like.
And ultimately, we cannot beat terrorism with terrorism or any of its violent relatives.

Resentment, enmity, hate, anger, bitterness… they are poison to the heart and no good comes from them. Vengeance may bring some fleeting level of gratification, but it does not bring peace.

So what can we do?

I can’t find words more fitting than the prayer of Saint Francis.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

I am far from perfect or even being really good at living this way– but that’s the kind of person I believe in my heart I should strive to become. And the more people do, the better the world we live in will become.