Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the world trade center. Nearly 3000 people, most of them “innocent” died in 4 total attacks, two on the World Trade Centers in New York, one attack in Washington DC, at the Pentagon, and a final attack, presumably meant for another destination in Washington DC that was thwarted by the brave men and women on board, sadly to crash in a field in Pennsylvania.
Yesterday, as our Nation and the world mourned, remembering the lives lost that day, and remembering the lives of those who have fought for our freedom both before and after the attacks, I couldn’t help but be depressed. Over the past weeks, I’ve read articles, listened to stories, and watched hours of video about the attacks, and those who perished in them. Yesterday, as I watched footage of brave men and women-firefighters, EMS, police, and civilians sprinting towards the towers, even as they fell, sprinting in to save someone, to help someone. I thought of the families, the friends who are now without them, but I also thought of the families, the friends, the children of those who are still alive, because of those who gave their lives. Those men and women are heroes, but those men and women are also examples- examples of true unblemished love.
From someone who has loved, and recently lost love, nothing strikes my emotions more than true love. Nothing stirs my heart like someone willing to risk it all for someone that they have never met, someone that they may never know, risk it all because though there may be no hope, there is love.
It saddens me to see hundreds of posts, of articles, of videos, and news stories about hate, and anger,of war, and of violence. Republicans and Democrats, Whites and Blacks, Men and Women, Sunni’s and Shiites, Christians and Muslims fighting over what? Most of the time, I feel like we fight over NOTHING. We fight just to fight. We don’t know what the other person believes, but we call them our enemy nonetheless. It saddens me to think that there is hate because of misunderstanding. True Islam stands for the same things Christianity stands for- love, peace, hope. Republicans and Democrats are the same, people, all of whom make mistakes and get things wrong. Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and every other nationality or race are all human.
If we truly want to take a day to remember those who lost their lives 10 years ago, we aught to remember the sacrifices many of them made, the sacrifices many make today. We aught to remember the Ultimate Sacrifice that was made for us, for us to have hope, for us to have love, for us to have eternal life. And we aught to love. Love ourselves, love our friends, love our families, love our enemies. Just love.
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