Mikey's right; it's odd that we didn't talk about 9/11 yesterday here at TC. So while it's a bit late, I'll point out the most moving 9/11 reflection I read yesterday: Graphing the End of a World by Rod Dreher. It's a simple recounting of what he was doing and thinking when the towers fell.
For what it's worth, one of the best essays addressing the spiritual elements of the 9/11 attacks--particularly the question of "where was God?"--is this article by Ravi Zacharias, written in 2002 when time had elapsed and more perspective on the event was possible.
Anybody else want to point out a 9/11 reflection or commentary that they read yesterday? Feel free to post links in the comment section below.
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The town in New Jersey where I lived at the time lost 37 people in the attack.
Poor innocents who caught the 7:11 AM train that day from Middletown - kissed their spouses goodby, parked their cars in the station parking lot, bought their coffee and newspaper - took their usual seats - read or snoozed.
The train rumbled into Newark where they crossed the platform to catch the PATH train to NYC. Many had to stand for this leg of the daily journey. Never enough seats during rush hour.
They arrived at the WTC, rode the gigantic escalators or if young and fit, jogged up the stairs. At the top of the escalator they turned right and right again - passed the Duane Reed drug store, shops, flower stands, coffee carts and the old Chemical Bank branch toward the revolving doors. Maybe they bought another coffee as part of their morning ritual.
They walked through the doors to the elevators or to the escalator / bridge to the World Financial Center (where I once worked) - to their deaths.
How many days did I spend in the towers? Lots.
Not that day.
That day I was in Cranford NJ.
Several months before we had a goodbye party at the office. A young man, born in Russia but here since childhood was leaving for a new position. He was an astute forex trader, earned his spurs with us and was moving on. He was so happy and we were happy for him. His immigrant parents joined us - so proud that their son had "made it" in America.
He went to Cantor Fitzgerald.
I thought of him today.
What would be a fitting tribute and memorial?
Build the mosque and next to it build an orthodox synagogue, a catholic cathedral, a hindu temple, a buddhist shrine. Let each build their elementary and religious schools. Close the street and cover it with trees and places to sit. Let muslim clerics, catholic seminarians and jewish rabbis celebrate their respective holidays with each other. Let catholic school kids, kids in yarmulkas and young muslims have lunch together in the shade. .
Let them all seek god on the same NYC street.
That would be a fitting American tribute and memorial.
Just daydreaming of course.