Remembering, this morning, driving in to work 7 years ago and hearing the news out of New York City on the car radio...with disbelief and then fear...
And remembering the reactions and non-reactions of the people around me...
The parish staff's surprise and bemusement when they were summoned to Morning Prayer...and the bafflement of the Women's Group, who met here that afternoon, when I invited them to prayer for our neighbours-to-the-south (we talk that way)...
The smirking response of a clergy colleague when someone in our group lamented this calamity befalling "innocent people" -- "Well, we know as Christians that none of us is innocent, don't we?" (and I didn't hit him. May it be remembered, I did NOT hit him.)
But there is, surely, a dimension of innocence in "going about one's business and not foreseeing harm" -- isn't there? Isn't there?
The offhand response of a senior family member, "Well, serve them right for building those towers so tall." Serve them RIGHT???
I keep thinking about the wait-staff in Windows on the World...who didn't make it out.
The resistance expressed at Most Holy & Undivided to the idea of prayers of lamentation...and prayers for protection against "the fury of our enemies"...why?
We used to say that for my generation our "marker" was "where were you and what were you doing on November 22, 1963?" but I think now we have a new one.
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3 comments:
I think you're bang-on with the "marker" date comment; The last time I was involved in one of those "where were you" conversations about 9/11 was a whole, oh, about two months ago...
And good for you for not hitting the "nobody is innocent" person!
I think you showed remarkable restraint! I have such vivid memories of that day that I even remember what significant people around me were wearing.
I recall watching the second tower with staff officers from the local headquarters and one of them (whose marriage had been distinctly rocky since his trip through Eritrea) saying succinctly, "Never fight with your wife before you leave for work."
Which still seems like reasonable advice.
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