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911 for Healing

...Youth Director Lisa Chirpich compiled the following suggestions for working through the tragedy of this week.

Editors Note: Much has already and will be written about the events of September 11th, 2001. Sometimes the writing is as much for the writer's soul as for the reader. If any parishioners would like to submit their thoughts to the webmaster for publication, they will be seen on these pages. Submit to rhollj@bitstream.net.

Why did God allow this to happen?
This really challenges the comforting idea that God is in control. The reality is that God gave us a beautiful gift: freedom to choose. This is at the core of being human. It allows us to choose to love, to choose to help another and there lies the beauty of choice. Yet, there is a dark side to this freedom and we saw what results when people choose to cause evil and destruction. This calls each of us to choose how we are going to respond. How will we use our gift of freedom to choose?

Where is God in all of this? There are many miracles happening in the midst of death and chaos. The obvious ones are those of the generosity and outpouring of love by individuals and groups. But there are others that will surface as time goes on. Individuals that were somehow spared death or ended up being late for work that day. God still is active in the chaos. We need to open our hearts and minds to see and believe.

What do I do with my feelings? There is a lot to deal with and grieve after this experience. It is important to talk about what we think and feel. The stages of grief include denial, anger and depression before coming to grips with an experience. There are healthy ways to deal with anger like gathering with loved ones, joining relief operations, etc. Not all of us can do that, but still feel angry. Talking about our anger, journaling can help. Yet, there is an energy in anger and some may need a physical response like hitting a tennis ball or pillow or a my favorite is getting in a cardboard box and allowing yourself to scream, punch, kick and rant and rave as long as needed. Then get out and take a deep breath and go on more peacefully. Playing sports can also relieve some tension.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek so much to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are
born to eternal life. Amen.

Prayer and ritual can provide comfort and healing in times like this. Some suggestions

• Gather with your loved ones and talk about the experience sharing feelings and concerns.
• Read from scripture or some wisdom figure.
• Discuss the message and what stands out.
• Take time to lift up the needs of our nation.

Scripture Ideas:

• Genesis 1: 1-27 Remind us of goodness and how we are all created and loved by God.
• Psalms 31:24
• Psalms 46:1-3
• Romans 8:28 What good can come out of this? What can you do to help good things happen?
• Romans 8:38-9
• Romans 12:9-21

This is a hard time for all. Be gentle on yourself and others. Take time to feel and grieve. Take time to talk and to pray. Take time to love. Take time to love. God is with you.

WEBSITES:

• www.nfcym.org- Great place for help on grieving and teaching non-violence. Great resource, prayers, quotes and links.
• AboutOurKids.org and MSNBC News- offer good sites for information on talking with children about the tragedy.
• Google Search- "Nonviolence sayings" brings a wealth of good resources.

1. Are we as Christians and humans about hatred or love, destruction or building up?
2. What does retaliation, more suffering and vengeance really gain for us? Will it bring about the peace, security and love we want?
3. Do not other people in the world also want to feel peace, security and love? Are they really any different than we are? Can we feel compassion and empathy seeing that we are all creations of our loving Creator?
4. People in Afghanistan and other parts of the world have been injured and they wanted to retaliate and punish. Where will it stop? What role do we have as a Nation to be the strong ones and say enough is enough. We can forgive (not forget but forgive), we can do the right thing and stop the cycle of violence and pain.
5. What do we want to teach our children? Do we want to bring up another generation of people hating others? This is a huge moment to act on our true beliefs.
6. What is the wisdom in Jesus' call to love our enemies and pray for them? Do we have to do it alone, is it humanly possible or is this the time to open our hearts to God's grace and see what happens?

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." "We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."

O God of all Nations, Of every race and land. Redeem the whole creation with your almighty hand. Where hate and fear divide us and bitter threats are hurled, in love and mercy guide us and heal our strife-torn world. From search for wealth and power and scorn of truth and right, from trust in bombs that shower destruction through the night, from pride of race and station and blindness to your way, deliver every nation Eternal God we pray. Keep bright in us the vision of days when war shall cease, when hatred and division give way to love and peace. Til dawns the morning glorious when peace shall reign on earth and love shall rule victorious over all the world's domain.

Lisa Chirpich is St. Joan of Arc's Youth Director.

"Today's world is no longer a place where the concept of war, destruction of your enemy and the victory of your side are reality. Your survival, your success, and your progress, is very much related with others' well-being. Therefore, under these circumstances even your enemies and you are still very much interdependent. In such a situation, destruction of your enemy is actually destruction of yourself"