Love Wins - Friday, September 11, 2020

 LOVE WINS -- Friday, September 11, 2020

This is a perfect day for a “LOVE WINS” blog post.  

For those of you who haven’t had your cup of coffee, grab it, and come back!!

On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and two other locations.

Wikipedia says this about the attacks:

“The September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States were a terrorist act carried out by 19 hijackers of the Salafist organization al-Qaeda. Motives for the attacks were stated before and after the attacks in several sources, Osama bin Laden's declaration of a holy war against the United States, and a fatwā signed by bin Laden and others for the killing of Americans in 1998, are seen by investigators as evidence of his motivation.

“In Osama bin Laden's November 2002 "Letter to America", he explicitly stated al-Qaeda's motives for their attacks, blaming the "Zionist crusader alliance and their collaborators" for aggression against Muslims in many countries including Somalia, Bosnia Herzegovina, and the Qana massacre in Lebanon. He includes atrocities committed by Russian forces in Chechnya and Indian forces in Kashmir and Assam. Other grievances that were mentioned by bin Laden include the presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia, US support of Israel, and sanctions against Iraq.

Continuing

“The U.S. government took the position, as often repeated by the Bush Administration, that terrorists attacked the United States because "they hate us for our freedoms." For example, President George W. Bush in a speech to Congress nine days after the attacks said: "They hate right what we see in this chamber--a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms--our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.”

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So, LOVE WINS!!  But, here is not just hate, but a very well planned series of deep hatred.   

Another source says “During the September 11 attacks of 2001, 2,977 people died, 19 hijackers committed murder/suicide, and more than 6,000 others were injured. The immediate deaths included 265 on the four planes (including the terrorists), 2,606 in the World Trade Center and in the surrounding area, and 125 at the Pentagon.  Numerous New York City Firefighters died, others got various forms of ash and debris into their lungs. 

It resulted in a Middle East War against Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, with casualties on both sides. (And, possibly reinforced some Islamic beliefs about the United States and the West.).

I was probably in the “let’s get them” group at that time.  And, I’m sorry to say that if I knew a person was a Muslim, I judge him or her.

But, in my ‘awakening”, I realized that many Muslims did not approve of the attacks.  I had Muslim students who were opposed to the radicals. I heard a friend talk of having Muslim friends on his soccer (aka “non-American ‘football’”) that were so glad to get away from the hate and restrictions.  

In trying to draw an analogy, it might be like some of the divisions between radical right-wingers and radical left-wingers in American politics.   President Trump is so wrong, I can’t listen to him, or Joe Biden is so wrong, I can’t listen to him. Or … “The only good Republican is a dead Republican” or “The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat”.  

Acts 7:59-60 says “As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Luke 23:34 “Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Can I forgive those terrorists?  Were they made in the “image and likeness” of God?  

Can I be like Stephen and Jesus and say “God forgive them?”  

I think it might be easier at age 73 instead of age 54 to forgive them.  I sense that “to forgive is Divine”.  

I had a student about five years after the 9/11 attack, whose father was an American Airlines pilot of one of the hijacked planes.  (I didn’t know of the connection until later).  We have never talked about the attack, but I know she has learned to forgive - she does not and cannot hold a grudge.  

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So, on this Patriot Day, can we truly say “I forgive all that have wronged me?  Can I forgive the ‘unforgivable’?  If my daughter (or maybe more so - if my granddaughters) were gang-raped in front of my eyes, could I forgive the persons doing the rape?  

I have quoted Micah 6:8 frequently - “So, what does God expect of you, but to love justice, show mercy and walk humbly with God”.  

Maybe as I know I am closer to death than I was on September 11, 2001, that I can say “Father Forgive them”.  I would guess that there are some families that have struggled with forgiveness as their loved ones died in the attacks.  I haven’t walked a mile in their shoes, but I sense it has been tough.  

But, ultimately, in my heart, I believe that LOVE WINS!!!  

Karen