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Trinity Episcopal Church 44 East Market St. Bethlehem PA  18018-5989 610-867-4741

Parish Reactions to the Tragedy of September 11th, 2001.

Letter from Marcie Lightwood, morning of September 12

Dear friends and family,

It is such a beautiful morning in the Eastern U.S. It is difficult to believe that it is day 2 of a changed world. Thanks to so many of you for your prayers and check- ins.

A few stories, and some reflections follow. Friends from Europe called and e-mailed to see if we and ours were OK, and Volkmar added, "We pray for a measured response. We fear for another World War." They know that fear in a way we only glimpsed yesterday. A friend from NYC, safe, reported people walking around the city dazed, everything closed down, nothing to do - and there seems to be bread in New York this morning. Things can go out, but nothing is coming in. My dear friend Sue from Atlantic Highlands, NJ, where ferries are bringing the injured, reported that at the school where she works, scores of mothers came weeping to claim their children whose fathers work in NYC, many at the World Trade Center. It took her half the day to realize that most of her neighbors board the ferry bound for work in the city each day, and many would not return. Her call was cut short by a commotion next door - a call had probably finally come in.

A social worker reported that a client, an Iranian, had cancelled his appointment because he feared being out in public. "I don't want what happened to the Japanese in WWII to happen to me," he explained.

When I went to the Blood Bank to get details for the news on the radio station where I volunteer, I encountered seven Lehigh University women who came to donate blood, many for the first time, because it was all they could think of to DO. Another donor was a man from Iran.

We all want to do something. There are cars on my street with huge American flags attached to them; the fear is making people talk retaliation. One thing we can all do is to treat fearful people tenderly. Fear takes away all rationality; many are looking for an enemy, and politicians follow this base instinct. We can say to these people, aloud or in our hearts, "I am sorry you are so afraid." Thanks, Kathe, for your prayer where you said, "Please help us remember not to slip into fear because we will not find solutions there."

I think about the faces of my young adult sons, Eli and Ian, and their dear friends, Burleigh, Ryan, Dan, Reid, and even the young women, Vera, Phoebe, Emily, and others and think that not one of them should lose one drop of blood to satisfy the beast of revenge. This is a time to beg those in power to follow the civilized route of intelligence and law. Sending our best young people into a war will not bring back those lying in the twisted rubble…it will just create more of the same. Spread hope and love. Pray in whatever way you can, and make opportunities for others to reflect and pray rather than react. It is difficult to pray hate.

Yours in Peace,

--Marcie



Reply from Anne Winkler, morning of September 12

Dearest Marcie,

How comforting it is to receive your beautiful and very important message this sad, though beautiful, morning. Our service at Trinity last evening helped, as does your words, to relieve the ache and need to connect with others who are ill at ease with talk of war and retribution. Most of us will know someone closely affected by yesterday's events. Here, in our office, we wait with one of our colleagues for word of her husband who worked in a top floor of tower one. As was his habit, he called her yesterday at 7:30 am to reassure her that he had arrived safely at his office. Some of us will know someone who is afraid. I have an Arabian friend who stayed at her public service job because that's where she felt she could do the most. My daughter and I talked into the night about how the rest of the world perceives us. I asked my children to put out our flag-not as a sign of defiance-but as a traditional way of flying the flag to show condolence to those who mourn. Shortly after I saw the first TV pictures, I found myself in a bathroom stall, the only quiet place I could find to pray-for the victims, their loved ones, the president, the people of the middle east, everyone I could think of, even those who hate us. Jesus must weep so often for all of us. I join you and yours in your hope that the official response will be measured and restrained. May we seek God's counsel and comfort in the days ahead.

Peace to all.

-Anne



Note from Fr. Nick to the Diocese's interactive email group, evening of September 12, after attending the service described and the Great Litany service at 7:30

We had a regularly scheduled meeting of our parish's parenting support group this evening. We had planned to have a children's Eucharist followed by a dinner and then work on planning the fall's events.

We decided to go ahead and at least worship together and share a meal.

The Eucharist was wonderful and terrible all at the same time. It was wonderful in that the children (mostly toddlers) don't understand what has happened-and they simply played in the chapel as we read again from the Propers for Peace. How profoundly I long for a world where children can play safely in God's house forever and never have to fear what is happening on the outside. We talked in the sermon about Christmas and about waiting for Christmas-and wanting Jesus to come and be with us. the children understood it in their way, and most of the adults understood it in our way.

It was terrible in that one of our parishioners who works in midtown Manhattan was finally able to make it home tonight-bringing with her refugees from her office, who have no place to go anymore. As we distributed the Eucharist and said the blessing, when I put the wafer in her hand, the sobbing just started. So many people lost in the financial community, so many lives cut short. Many of the parents in the room are in the financial industry as well, and know so many people who worked in the World Trade towers-and don't know yet if they survived or not.

I went outside this evening and looked up. I live near the airport in Bethlehem. I couldn't see a plane in the sky. In all my years of star watching and looking up into the night sky, I don't think I've not seen a plane flying somewhere along the horizon. Somehow, in that simple realization, the enormity of what has happened began to rush in on me.

The quiet night sky-I didn't realize until tonight what has happened.

-Nick+



Out of Chaos
--Carole Gorney

I focus my eyes on the small birch tree outside my window, trying to rid my mind of the horrific images of the last few days.

The perfectly shaped leaves-each a clone of the other-are somehow reassuring.

They shiver slightly in the breeze as if trying to shake off the few remaining water droplets clinging to them from the recent thunderstorm.

Then calm.

Now a sudden trembling as a gust of wind sweeps by.

How simple and predictable existence is for this tree; how calming it is to let my mind focus on its outstretched branches and clusters of tiny pointed leaves.

Another shiver, and slowly, as if a sign, the tree is washed in silver-each leaf a flaming tongue of sunlight.

Beauty still exists.

Order.

Peace.

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