9/11 Remembered in the Park

Yesterday, Tenth participated in a community 9/11 remembrance event. The congregations and faith-based organizations of Center City were invited by the Center City Residents Association to set up booths in the park and conduct a remembrance program. A Tenth lay member read Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, and I followed up with a prayer. For me personally it was a moving experience to hear Jesus' words spoken clearly to a couple of hundred people listening attentively in the center of the park. Below is the Scripture text and prayer.

Luke 10:25-37

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” ²⁷ And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸ And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

²⁹ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰ Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. ³² So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ ³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” ³⁷ He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Prayer

Our Father,

Would that we would be neighbors who do likewise, who show mercy. Forgive us for how we have failed to keep your law - to love you with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind; to love our neighbor as ourselves. Forgive us that in our efforts to justify ourselves we have drawn boundaries to distinguish who we may regard as neighbors and who not. By your Holy Spirit work in us to be more concerned with being good neighbors than with having good enough neighbors. Grant us grace to be people of mercy.

We pray for your mercy on this day that we remember lives lost through hatred. We pray for our neighbors - the families and the friends who grieve over their loved ones killed. We pray for our neighbors in New York, in Washington, and in Shanksville who experienced and witnessed the destruction. We pray for our nation as we continue to mourn together. Grant us mercy; grant us peace.

We pray for your mercy in lands still gripped by resulting violence. For our neighbors in Iraq and Afghanistan who have lost loved ones and who continue to live in fear of violence. We pray for a world that now is ever on guard for unexpected attacks. We pray for our neighbors in Norway still in shock and mourning over their tragedy. Grant them mercy; grant them peace.

Grant to our leaders, and grant to all our neighbors placed in the line of duty of combating terrorism, safeguarding their communities, and coming to the aid of the attacked - grant to them wisdom, vigilance, and strength to carry out their heavy responsibilities.

Grant us such mercy as shown on the cross, when Jesus Christ laid down his life as a sacrifice for sinners. For as our Scriptures teach us, it was while we were sinners, while we were even enemies that Christ died for us. May we be neighbors who know and exhibit such love.