Our choice: Will we choose evil as a response to evil? Or will we make a difference?
On this anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the nation is reeling from more acts of public violence.
Another in a year of such violence.
Just yesterday, news outlets cycled between reports on the 47th school shooting of the year in Evergreen, Colorado and the murder of Charlie Kirk—just one in a string of attacks on public and political figures in the last year.
Robert Pape, the director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats says his new research shows “we may be on the brink of an extremely violent era in American politics.”
If you are uncertain about the extent of threats of such attacks on politicians of both parties, Professor Pape’s research team offers this graphic, which makes the extent of the problem very real.
Perhaps we are not on the “brink” of an extremely violent period. We are wallowing in the middle of it.
As followers of Jesus, we must decide who we are in this moment. Our Lord calls us to a different kind of life and witness, one shaped by the love and mercy of God. Our Wesleyan way includes rules to do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. This leads us to avoid words that divide or emotionally wound others. Our practice of patience and love, as we continue to trust Christ’s peace, is not only possible but necessary for our common life.
The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church affirm the sacred worth of every person and call us to reject violence in all its forms. As people of faith, we are invited to be peacemakers who build relationships across political lines and choose love over fear.
Twenty-four years ago, on September 11, members of Congress, who just hours earlier had evacuated the Capitol, came together on the building's East Front steps. One hundred fifty senators and representatives stood shoulder to shoulder, Democrats next to Republicans, and began singing “God Bless America.” A reporter said they were shaken and tearful standing together.
As a pastor in northern Virginia who had church members directly impacted by the attack on the Pentagon, I saw people work together in remarkable ways after the events of 9/11. People worked to help impacted families. They focused on the security of the nation. They cared for each other’s emotional wounds. I heard of blood banks that were swarmed with donors. Financial donations to victims were given generously. Everyone wanted to offer something for the common good. In that time, we were a country with a shared purpose and pride.
It wasn’t because we were in the good old days. It was because the average person decided to be their best in the worst of days.
Pew research confirmed that. Pew found, “While Americans had a shared sense of anguish after September 11, the months that followed also were marked by rare spirit of public unity.” Pew data showed, “The public largely set aside political differences and rallied in support of the nation’s major institutions, as well as its political leadership. In October 2001, 60% of adults expressed trust in the federal government—a level not reached in the previous three decades, nor approached in the two decades since then.”
Do you remember how full churches were after 9/11? And it was not just churches. It was synagogues, mosques and other communities as well.
Americans turned to religion and faith in large numbers. Pew reported, “In the days and weeks after 9/11, most Americans said they were praying more often. In November 2001, 78% said religion’s influence in American life was increasing, more than double the share who said that eight months earlier.”
We must ask if the violence is taking us where we want to go. Is it building the nation in which we want to live? In this moment Americans must decide whether in our despair, we can find wisdom through the grace of God.
Today, as we honor those who died in acts of terror on September 11, 2001, and those who have died in the violence in current months, may we recommit ourselves to the work of peace. In our prayers, in our words, and in our actions, let us embody Christ’s way of love, believing that we are not helpless. Our words and actions make a difference. We can be a force for good. Even in a violent time, God’s grace is stronger than fear, and the light of Christ shines in the darkness.