09/11/2026
Holy One,
25 years ago we were unwittingly united
in a horrifying togetherness...
in our shock, our fear, and our broken hearts...
as airplanes crashed, towers crumbled,
and so many, many beloved souls were lost.
We were woven together
as one rich tapestry
of people who witnessed
and were forever changed
by astounding tragedy.
We knew, in our depths,
that hate destroys
and that You call us
to respond in love.
And yet, in the years since,
we have drifted so far
into "us" versus "them" thinking.
Help us, God.
Help us honor the losses of that terrible day
by reaching towards the belovedness
in each person.
May we remember the horror of that day
with the beauty of what we felt in that unity:
that each of us
is a holy child of Yours.
Amen.