As the 10th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks nears, and I have been thinking a lot about the parallel history of the 11-year-old United Religions Initiative. URI and 9/11, then and now. There were many religious dimensions to the horror of September 11, 2001. One tiny one, for instance: I know emphatically that 9/11 touched a deep, deep chord of the sacred in the hearts of all who watched the unfathomable, grotesque tragedies. At Grace Cathedral in those days we always had a 12:10 pm service that was attended by around 15 people. Two days after 9/11, 6000 people showed up for that service, plus another 1200 people that night. And in cities all over this country, most every mayor called the community together and made sure that he or she was surrounded by the clergy of the town. Prayer was spontaneous and continuous.
Remembering this, I was taken aback by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to bar clergy-led prayer at this week's 9/11 anniversary commemoration. I understand the sensitivities about Islam on that site but somehow some creative solution could have been found to acknowledge a sacred dimension to which we all could relate. That is exactly our vocation at URI. URI exists to hold up the prospect of creative solutions when civil society is stalemated by religious differences. There is always another way.
I recently received an email addressed to me entitled, “Time For Real Interfaith: A Testimony From Syria.” What I normally read from Syria are pronouncements from President Assad which say in effect, "If you think you have seen bloodletting under my regime, just wait. Were I gone, the religious factions of Shia, Sunnis, Alawites, Druze and Christians would bring a permanent chaos of killing." But this email quotes young Syrians who have witnessed the imprisonment, torture, mutilation and murder of their friends. My correspondent says, "I believe that this is the time for Muslims, Christians and Jews around the world to make a powerful statement for interfaith solidarity with ALL the people of Syria. If not now and here, then when and where?" URI has its work cut out for it: Ending the stalemate.
At this 10th anniversary of 9/11 I am deeply aware that all of life is infused by a religious dimension: healthy religion, sick religion, anti-religion, indifferent religion. Further I believe that more and more frequently religion is being subordinated to the political designs of people who are bringing great harm to tribes, nations, the environment, and the global economy, and placing the world in under an elevated nuclear threat. The world of religious persuasions is either flying in the direction of 9/11 or in the direction of URI. URI isn't the solution to all of the world's problems. But it is the right vision. It is raising hope. It is inspiring a global community, a family of people. It is making a difference all over the world on a daily basis. And it is finding creative solutions to acknowledge a sacred dimension in the midst of stalemate over religious differences.
