During my typical Saturday morning 5K walk around a lake in my hometown of Bartlett, TN, I noticed the flags were flying at half-staff. This was not the typical Saturday morning though. It was September 11, 2021, exactly 20 years after the worst terrorist attack in American history.
City officials as well as police and fire departments were preparing for our town’s 9/11 Memorial Ceremony being held right next to the lake in our Memorial Park for Bartlett’s First Responders. I didn’t know the event was being held there, so I stopped to take it all in. As I continued my walk, I started reflecting on all the activity happening at the same time within that 1.5 mile diameter around the lake and park and decided to record some video clips of what I was seeing.
When I got home, I put some of my clips together and posted my reflections on my social media accounts. I decided to share the video with you now even though today is 9/13.
While the date itself is insignificant, that date will always be remembered as the day our lives change FOREVER. The world was forever changed. Unimaginable hate knocked us down to our knees that day. Incomprehensible actions that changed the course of history unfolded right before our eyes. America was under attack by foreign enemies, and we were literally afraid of what the next moment would bring. Some of us feared the worse and still live in overwhelming fear today. Grief struck our nation, but collectively we came today with that great American spirit that no other country in the world has. For a period of time, we truly were the UNITED States of America.
Much has been written about the events of 9/11 by prolific thinkers and scholars, government officials, victims’ families and survivors, first responders, “world class” authors, etc., so I dare not try to write my own version of anything concerning that day. Instead, I’d like to share my little homemade video reflections with my blog readers and pose a question at the end.
What strikes me the most as I look at all the different activities happening in that same general area is that some people appeared oblivious and nonchalant about the memorial ceremony. They continued on their Saturday morning as just another busy day or typical weekend. Some cars drove by without stopping, slowing down, pausing, or even looking that way. Some of the walkers and runners took alternate routes to avoid going around the track where the ceremony was being held even though there was plenty of clearance to stay on the path without interfering with it.
I know 9/11 means vastly different things to different people. We were all affected in a countless variety of ways, some of which we may still be grappling with trying to unravel and understand. I was simply making observations of what I saw and how people responded.
As I said earlier, our lives changed forever on 9/11. That is undisputable.
My thought to ponder today is this: While the aftermath of 9/11 is undeniably the single most horrific and cataclysmic event in modern history that will have untold effects that will last forever, that day does not have to live in infamy in vain. We have seen how hate from some groups of people in a foreign land can destroy this nation. Let’s not let the hatred brewing amongst ourselves today destroy America beyond repair. It’s time to put an end to all that divides us because there should be so much more that unites us.
I don’t like using the term “the golden rule” nor do I like quoting from Wikipedia, but in this case, I will because it seems to summarize what I am trying to say.
The Golden Rule is a moral which says treat others as you would like them to treat you. This moral in various forms has been used as a basis for society in many cultures and civilizations. It is called the ‘golden’ rule because there is value in having this kind of respect and caring attitude for one another.
People of many religions see the value of this mandate and have similar expressions. In Christianity, Jesus Christ taught this idea to his disciples and others when he gave his Sermon on the Mount. It is recorded in the Holy Bible in the book of Matthew, Chapter 7 and verse 12. Jesus explained to his listeners that all the things that were recorded in the Jewish law and that the prophets had taught about concerning morality was summed up in this one rule. The context of this statement (Matthew 7) is about God’s mercy and kindness. The principle that was shared is to not always treat others as they might deserve to be treated, as we may judge some as undeserving, but instead to always be merciful and charitable, not withholding good.
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
So my question is this: Have Americans learned the most basic yet apparently one of the hardest things to do? Love your neighbor as yourself. Treat others as you would like to be treated. If we would simply do that, I don’t think hate would stand a chance. Love conquers all. While you can’t respond for everyone else, you can be responsible for your own actions. Social injustice, racial tension, the great political divide, COVID-19 being politicized, democrats versus republicans, masks and vaccines and those anti’s against one or both (YIKES), and everything else causing Americans to fight amongst themselves has got to go. We need to be kind to each other while respecting our differences.
God is loving, merciful and kind. He extends his grace to us every single day. Let’s try to do the same. I guess that is one thing I’ve learned from 9/11 and what can happen if we as the human race don’t learn to treat each other as we would like to be treated.