How Should We Remember?

9/11 Memorial 

Personal Photo - 3/22/24

 How Should We Remember?”

9/11 Museum 

Personal Photo - 3/22/24

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant

—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV)

The trip to New York City was planned as a birthday celebration.  It so happened it was just before Holy Week and the ending of Lent.  The weekend was filled with plays, good food and museums. 

At the end of the visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum there is the haunting question of “How should we remember?” displayed for all to see.  Sadly, on that same day in another part of the world a repetition of terrorism was repeated.  The justification for both events and many in between has been religious.  

The haunting question of the weekend was what is the value of remembering?  What  are the purposes of “religious remembering”?  Will it only lead to more violence or provide another vision for the living?  At our best we would like to believe the latter! 

For Christians, “remembering” happens this week with remembering the new agenda, a new mission of ministry!  It’s the answering to suffering in the world.   It is what gives us hope and towards a path of Peace.

Have a Blessed Holy Week, 

Shalom

Marvin

References

Lischer, R. (2005). The end of words: The language of reconciliation in a culture of violence. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.

Hage, M. L. (2012). Healing and Violence.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2012/12/healing-and-violence.html

Sacks, J. (2015). Not in God’s Name: Confronting Religious Violence. Schocken.

Hage, M. L. (2016). Healing Hate.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2016/06/healing-hate.html

Boyle, G. (2021). The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness. Simon and Schuster.