The Chain Reaction of Evil

          As many, many people remarked on the anniversary of 9/11, I also began to think of that day.  I remember waking up and eating breakfast on the floor with my dog, Spot (I liked being close to him, and he liked to be close to my cereal bowl). My dad came home from work and turned on the TV and told everyone to come to the living room because something had happened. There was something in his voice that really scared me. I asked him what had happened; he replied he didn’t know, but it was bad. I remember us all sitting there shocked and silent.  The only thought that ran through my head was – Oh my gosh, I am watching people die right now. And I kept imaging the terror of those people in the buildings. I went to school but we didn’t do anything in a single class except listen to the radio.  The whole school was a lot quieter that day. We had soccer practice after school; I fell and hurt my knee and had to go to the ER.  For the million hours I was in the ER (there is no such thing as a quick ER visit), every TV had the news on and they were just replaying clips of the planes hitting, buildings falling, people screaming, the confusion and the sheer terror.  People all over the ER were crying. I was sobbing.
            Over the last 11 years, I have watched the increase of hate, zenophobia, racism, and violence threaten to swallow up so many people. The terribleness of that day has only worsened with these things added to it.  I also watched as war, destruction, death, and violence ripped apart other nations and, I would also argue, our own.  However, I like the idea of “remembering 9/11.”  It is good to stop and remember that this is yet another example where love, forgiveness, peace, healing, and where the commonality of the human race (and as sons and daughters of God) can triumph over mere nationalistic interests. How fleeting the latter is when we look at the former! No nation has stood the test of time – not even the seemingly invincible Roman Empire! Neither will America.  So, if we say, “we will never forget,” let us mean that we will not forget to keep those affected by the violence and death on both sides of the conflict in prayer.  Let us not forget that a person of one nationality is not intrinsically more valuable than that of another. Loving, remembering, and praying for those affected by the tragedy of 9/11 does not mean we have to increase our hate or fear of others. Again, this only makes things worse. Paying hate for hate will never end well. As many nations in the Middle East have begun to attack U.S. embassies, I am once again seeing shocking images of a people who hate others. And I am not referring to Middle Eaterners, but U.S. citizens, many whom are Christians, who are saying and posting the most derogatory, offensive remarks.  I understand it is a terrible situation, but "repaying an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind." Only through love and forgiveness can anyone move forward. We may not have control of the feelings of others, but we can do something about ourselves. And as Mother Teresa has advocated, changing the world will always begin by changing yourself. 

Above all, if we want to be a Church that looks anything like what God has in mind, it is bigger than any nation or people group! The Church does not stop at boarders! The Church is made up of every color, nationality, and background, otherwise we have no Good News – we would no longer be the Church.  Instead of choosing hate, let us live with the very radical values of Christ and his kingdom. For we are not citizens of a nation, but of the kingdom of God. We would do well to adopt the values of the future kingdom and stop placing our American identity over and above citizenship that matters much more – citizen of the human race and, most importantly, a citizen of heaven.  For that is what we are called to do: to live lives of radical love and forgiveness, to help heal a very broken world, to love our neighbors, and to live out the irresistible revolution of Christianity. So, let this week’s anniversary be a stepping stone in the long path of healing for those wounded and who lost loved ones, let this be a day to reflect on the consequences of violence, let this be a day to forgive and to take up the challenge of loving our neighbors. And let this be a path we follow in the wake of these terrible mobs who gather on the basis of hate.  Let us "love our enemies," because right now we look a lot like the people we are criticizing. I will end with one of my favorite Martin Luther King quotes (who continues to blow me away by his insistence that loving our enemies is the ONLY way to move forward. There are no other paths that work.  I also posted a picture above that moved me to tears while visiting the King center - a picture of King continuing to love his enemies even while he is mistreated and jailed by them): 

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that...Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. 

So let us stop this "chain reaction of evil" in its midst and choose a different path. Breaking this chain reaction starts at a personal level...where is your heart at?