Remembering 9/11 and What It Means to Us As Christians

 This is from a powerful sermon by Deacon David Rollandelli on 9/11/21 at St. Matthias in Redwood City CA.

"Sadly, twenty years on, that image seems a distant memory given the bitter divisions that plague us today, most prominently with the rise of white nationalism.  Indeed, President Bush would say, “There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home.  But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard of human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit.  And it is our continuing duty to confront them.”[i]

 

America has done great things—but also, not so great things, racism among them, and we must address our shortcomings.  It’s not about blame and shame but reality and responsibility—remembering the reality of our nation’s moral failures and accepting responsibility as a nation to rectify them, because that’s what a great nation does.

 

And that’s what we do as a people of faith—acknowledge where we fail God’s love, Christ’s call to discipleship in all its uncomfortable reality—and instead, hear the cries of the hurting and walk with them in their distress.  That’s what the words, “Do this in memory of me,” that we will hear shortly, mean—to remember Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and embrace it as our own.  May we always remember, remember, remember.

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[1] Bush, George W., “Remarks by President George W. Bush at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania: Transcript of remarks from September 11, 2001 commemorating the 20^th anniversary of 9/11,” 9/11/2021  https://www.bushcenter.org/about-the-center/newsroom/press-releases/2021/09/remarks-president-bush-shanksville-9-11.html