The day the towers fell was a tragic day. Those lost have not been forgotten. But in our remembrance, we don’t let tragedy hold us down. In the rubble we find a chance to reshape, rebuild, and reconstruct our understandings of life, liberty, and above all, love.
Several days from now the events of 9/11 will paint themselves vividly on our TVs. Opinions will be shared, stories will be told, and we will once again have a choice on how this day will shape our lives. Anyone who grew up watching the media will know that the word terrorism quickly became the post 9/11 buzzword. And terrorism has another word it is often synonymous with. A people group it is often paired to- Muslims.
I never met a Muslim until college, and before then all I really knew was what I had heard: Muslims were terrorists. Post 9/11, it was an identity forced upon them.
Growing up in the digital age, it is common - even encouraged, to write your opinions of everything; whether it is one from personal experience or not. I've learned that it becomes easy to type opinions and labels of others onto a screen, but it requires your humanity to look into the eyes of the one you write about.
Four years ago on September 11th my friends and I sat around a table with Muslim women; recognizing that this day was the day they became labeled- but not for their beautiful families, incredible hospitality, heartwarming presence, or deep love. They became defined by how they looked and what they wore- my Muslim friends became identified with the word “terrorist.” We introduced ourselves, we dialogued and lamented about that day in history, we heard each other’s fears and hopes, and we chose to let this day be a day we pick up the rubble together and make things beautiful from things that aren’t.
As we dialogued with our new friends, I realized that we let terrorism plague America every day. We let terrorism win when we let “what ifs” rule who we reach our hand out to- who sits across our table. There is a daily terrorism that kills our cities, neighborhoods, and homes- a terrorism of the heart. We let terrorism win everyday in our heart when we let our preconceived ideas or understandings shape how we treat someone we have never met. Dangerous mindsets exist that are just as deadly as terrorism. Hate tears others down because hating what we don’t truly know is easier than expanding our comfort zone. Fear becomes a terrible captor. It cripples us from the creativity, friendship, and true freedom we were created for. Ignorance builds a wall where a bridge could have been, and when we build enough walls with our lives one day we will look up and find ourselves isolated. Terrorism triumphs when we let these mindsets dictate how we live.
We have an amazing opportunity to let September 11th shape our lives for the better. The opportunity to sit around a table with neighbors, friends, those we disagree with, and enemies that we’ve never known and look them in the eyes. We have the privilege to know someone personally before we make assumptions. The opportunity to befriend people that we never thought we had anything in common with. Can you imagine what your neighborhoods, cities, and countries would look like if we were a people known less for typing on the keyboard, and more for sitting across the table? This Sunday I will remember September 11th by taking the hand of those who reach for peace and together we will choose to build this day into something beautiful.
