9/11 Reflection

I was talking with someone recently about the 9/11 attacks and the killing of Osama bin Laden. The person mentioned that she thought she might feel differently about those events if she knew someone personally who was killed on 9/11. I have been thinking about that comment.

How does direct personal involvement influence our thinking, our understanding, our feelings, our values, our behavior? And, in this presidential election season we can add, our vote? It’s fine to have theoretical beliefs, values, and morals. But it is in everyday life that these become real. Ideally, our moral commitments and our behaviors are completely consistent. We are fully integrated as human beings. But, as I said, this is the ideal. In reality, we tend to be a mix of contradictions and inconsistencies.

One of the things that I think helps bring together our theoretical morals, values, and commitments and our actual behaivor is personal involvement and connection. I thought I knew some things about homelessness and that I was applying my Christian values to this issue, and then we had some homeless people come and stay at the church for 3 months. Through that direct personal connection I learned a lot more about homelessness and the people who are homeless. Through that experience, I was led to revise some of my views, especially about practical measures for reducing homelessness.

In the time of Christian origins, in the years of Jesus’ life and the decades following his crucifixion, the communities that formed around his teachings became reknowned for their broad diversity. In a society that was highly stratified by class, the Christian communities welcomed everyone and all were on equal footing. These communities were extremely diverse. People who would normally never have contact as equals were worshiping and serving, eating and praying, side by side. These uncommonly diverse communities were the context for learning, growing, and living in the spirit of Christ. Through personal experience, theoretical faith and values became concrete words and deeds. People became more integrated and whole.

Today this vision can inpsire the church to actively embrace diversity because it is through our personal experience with the “other” that we become integrated and whole. Who is the “other” in our context? Maybe someone of a different educational level or economic level. Maybe someone of a different sexual orientation or gender identity. Maybe it’s bridging the urban/rural divide; small town and big city. Maybe the differences involve ethnicity or life experience. Maybe it’s getting to know someone who is Muslim or atheist.

Our faith invites us to become whole through direct encounter with others who are different in some way. It is through this interpersonal engagement that we become more Christlike. When we embrace this vision of diverse people coming together maybe we will no longer have to fear another version of 9/11.