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Message from the District Executive Florida Congregations and links Consultation on Youth Task Force
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In Memoriam
to Those Who Died Sunday’s service at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lakeland, Florida, on September 16, 2001, was a special one dedicated entirely to the tragedy which occurred on the previous Tuesday. I thought you might like to know some of the elements involved which deviated from our usual routine. Dr. Robert P. Tucker, Minister At the beginning our Moderator went down the center aisle, ascended the chancel, and sat in the accustomed place. Then the Minister, in black robe, went down the aisle and stood before the Chalice Table. After all had quieted, he said: This has been a terrible week for the whole world, but especially for America. As I watched unthinkable horrors unfold on my television, I was reminded of a poem by W. H. Auden. It spoke of another time and place in which madmen attacked the freedom of humanity. It was entitled, “September 1, 1939.” But it could just as well have been written about September 11, 2001. Let me share with you a few lines… Then he read these excerpts: September 1, 1939 W. H. Auden
At this point the Minister turned to the Table and lit a very large, squat cylindrical ivory candle with three brightly burning wicks. Then he faced the congregation and said: “If you are comfortable doing do, will you please stand with me for a moment of silence in tribute to the thousands of innocent victims of this week’s tragedy.” Then the Minister said: “And now, let us begin to show our lights by singing together ‘My Country ‘Tis of Thee.’” After that the service proceeded in its regular fashion. During the Children’s Moment the Minister asked the kids if they were aware of what had been happening during the week. They were. They had watched it on T.V. and talked about it with parents and at school. The Minister made the point that, unfortunately, there are some bad people in the world, and that we must always be careful. Then he had the kids stand on the chancel and face the congregation. He told them to look at the people out there, that they were the “good guys.” He asked that anyone in the congregation stand up who was willing to do whatever it took to be sure these kids remained safe and happy. Everyone stood. He told the kids always to remember that there were many more good guys than bad in the world. Then he had everyone sit down. He said to the children that this week had held a few bad surprises. But surprises were like these people (in the congregation)—there were always more good surprises in life than bad ones. To help them remember that the Minister gave each child a small brown paper sack covered in question marks. Each contained 10 different toys. They opened their sacks and were elated. They left happy and giggling. After the Offering, as Special Music, Ron Nickolas sang the Kol Nidre. Then came the enclosed sermon, after which there was a Dialogue. After the closing hymn, the Minister read part of Reading 468 from the hymnal: We need one another when we mourn and would be comforted. We need one another when we are in trouble and afraid. We need one another in the hour of defeat, when, with encouragement, We might endure and stand again. We need one another when we would accomplish some great purpose And cannot do it alone. Let us never forget that all our lives we are in need, And others are in need of us. Amen. At Times Like These [In Memoriam for those who died September 11, 2001] by Robert P. Tucker, Ph.D., Minister The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lakeland, Florida - September 16, 2001 As Unitarian Universalists:
[UU Principles, adapted; Singing x] But it is not yet true that everyone else shares our beliefs. In the most horrible way imaginable, we were reminded of that this past Tuesday, September 11, 2001. At 8:45 a.m. American Airlines Flight #11, a Boeing 767 with 92 people on board, was intentionally crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. [On data see: “Key Events” and “Airliners That Crashed”] At 9:03 a.m. United Airlines Flight #175, another Boeing 767 with 65 people on board, was intentionally crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:45 a.m. American Airlines Flight #77, a Boeing 757 with 64 people on board, was intentionally crashed into the Pentagon. At 10 a.m., the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. At 10:10 a.m., a section of the Pentagon collapsed, and, at the same time in Pennsylvania, United Airlines Flight #93, a Boeing 757 with 45 people on board, crashed into the ground, apparently prevented from reaching its intended target by the brave action of several passengers who tried to overpower their hijackers. [Wilgoren] At 10:29 a.m., the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, followed soon after by “Building #7” of that complex. Since then, several other buildings have collapsed, and hundreds of other buildings have suffered severe damage. All of the planes involved had been hijacked by knife-wielding terrorists who had transformed them from transportation vehicles into flying bombs used as weapons of mass destruction. [Borenstein] The death toll still has not yet been completely determined. Besides the 266 people who were on the airplanes, there were several hundred people in the section of the Pentagon that was attacked, and there were thousands of people in the twin towers. [Preliminary] The collateral effects were wide-ranging. Manhattan was brought to a stand-still. Financial markets were closed around the world. For the first time in American history, all civilian aircraft were grounded. Government work in the nation’s capital was paralyzed as building after building, including the White House, was evacuated. National landmarks, museums, and tourist attractions across the nation were closed out of fear that they might be targets of further attacks. Many businesses, schools, colleges and universities were closed. Numerous sporting events and musical performances were canceled. As one commentator put it: “Not since Dec. 7, 1941, have we suffered such a comprehensive attack or seen such a comprehensive shutdown.” [Eichel quoted; closings in: Ferrante “Many”; Fineout; Graham; National Closures; Zuckerman] Such references to Pearl Harbor were on everyone’s lips. [cf. Apple; Clyner; Ferrante; Gingrich; Reactions] But, as Senator John McCain pointed out, there was one enormous difference: “At Pearl Harbor the Japanese attacked military targets” using military aircraft which were clearly marked with their nation’s symbols. [Clyner] The anonymous nature of these terrorist attacks is ironic in relation to what I had originally intended to preach today. Because Rosh Hashanah begins tomorrow and is soon followed by Yom Kippur, I had written a sermon on atonement. [Tucker] According to Judaism, however, atonement requires confessing one’s sins, repenting the evil one has done, making reparations to those injured, and accepting appropriate punishment. None of these conditions is ever likely to be met by the villains who attacked America. Thus the tragic events of this past week forced me to change my sermon topic; and that’s not all that changed. As New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said: this “is an event that will change the way we think of the world, the way we think of our security and the way we have to approach what we have taken for granted.” [Spitzer; cf. Eichel] In the past, America was protected by two oceans and things like this didn’t happen here. [Ferrante “Polk,” A2, A1] But those days are gone, forever. President George W. Bush was absolutely correct when he said on Tuesday: “Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature.” [Bush] Most indications are that the hijackers were connected to the terrorist Osama bin Laden. [Goldstein; Gullo; Gullo/Solomon] It is important to remember that he is a fanatical Muslim extremist. The problem is not the religion of Islam—for it condemns the murder of innocent people. [Malik] The problem is that there are fundamentalists in every religion who pervert their faith for their own selfish and hateful goals. [Rousos; Rufty] Britain’s Prime Minister, Tony Blair echoed these sentiments when he said: “Mass terrorism is the new evil in our world today. It is perpetrated by fanatics who are utterly indifferent to the sanctity of human life, and we, the democracies of this world, are going to have to come together to fight it and eradicate this evil completely from our world. [Blair] President Bush was also correct when he declared that “America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world.” [Bush] Columnist Tom Teepen expanded upon that when he wrote: We are a good nation.... We are overwhelmingly a force for good in the world.... [Unlike] our enemies [who] are the lords of exclusion[,] we glory in our religious diversity, in a social compact that acknowledges all faiths, even faithlessness, as the absolute right of it[s] adherents.... Largely a religious people, we are nonetheless a secular nation—modernist, rational and humane. Our enemies are none of those. They hate us for our best qualities, not for our worst. [Teepen] “Our best qualities” are going to be severely tested in the days ahead. [Attacks] “This violence will reveal whom we are.” [Tammeus] Some will be tempted to want revenge and retaliation. [Now] But these are very different from justice and punishment. The best advice I have seen appeared in an article by Bill Tammeus. He wrote: As the post-attack days unfold, it will help all of us to pay special attention to the stories of heroism we will hear.... We will discover, in those stories, the true heart of our people. In the face of danger and disaster, most Americans inevitably seek to ease pain and offer comfort. They risk their own lives. They value the lives of others at risk because they understand that every individual—no matter social rank—is of inestimable value. Pay attention to those stories... Remind yourselves, your children, your grandchildren, that when the darkness of evil envelops our people, we respond with grace and spirit and valor... We see it whenever destruction engulfs us. We will now enter a protracted period of national grief that will be full, not only of pain, but also of recrimination and angry ideas for how to respond. As this takes place, let’s remember who we are. Let’s not give in to blind and widespread hatred. Rather, let us hold accountable whoever it was who rained havoc [up]on us. Let us bind up our wounds, mourn with those who mourn, [and] comfort those whose losses were terrifying, shocking and irreplaceable. This will not be easy, but it’s what we all must do. [Tammeus] Amen. Now, because this tragedy has affected all of us so very deeply, I want to give each of you a chance to say what is in your heart and on your mind. [Congregational Dialogue...] Sources “Airliners That Crashed.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A4. Apple, R. W., Jr. “Enemy Is Hard to Identify Or Punish.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A6. “Attacks Test America.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A16. Blair, Tony. In “Reactions.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A8; and in editorial, A16. Borenstein, Seth. “Breach of Security Well-Coordinated.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A4. Bush, George W. “Bush: Terrorism Can’t Shake America’s Foundations.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A11. Clyner, Adam. “History Rings in Terror of Attacks.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A5. Eichel, Larry. “Evil Genius Brings United States to Halt.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A17. Ferrante, Julia. “Polk County Reels From Tragic Events.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A1, A2. Ferrante, Julia. “Many Polk Students Left School Early.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A3. Fineout, Gary. “Gov. Bush Has Chaotic Day, Declares State of Emergency.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A3. Gingrich, Newt. “21st Century Pearl Harbor.” Quoted in editorial of that title. The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A16. Goldstein, Steve. “Ex-Ally Bin Laden Has Long Been Fighting U.S.” The Ledger. 13 September 2001. A9. Graham, George. “Disaster Brings Capital to a Halt.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A6. Gullo, Karen. “Hijackers Linked to Bin Laden.” The Ledger. 13 September 2001. A9. Gullo, Karen and John Solomon. “Osama bin Laden Emerges as Prime Suspect.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A4. “Key Events.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A4. Malik, Ghulam. “Islam Doesn’t Allow Such Dastardly Acts.” The Ledger. 13 September 2001. A17. “National Closures.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A6. “Now, It’s Our Turn.” Editorial. The Ledger. 13 September 2001. A16. “Preliminary Death Toll.” The Ledger. 13 September 2001. A6. “Reactions.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A7. Rousos, Rick. “Lakelanders Civil to Local Muslims.” The Ledger. 13 September 2001. A4. Rufty, Bill. “UF Professor: Attacks Should Teach America.” The Ledger. 13 September 2001. A4. Singing the Living Tradition. Boston: Beacon Press, 1993. Spitzer, Eliot. In “Reactions.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A7. Tammeus, Bill. “This Violence Will Reveal Whom We Are.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A17. Teepen, Tom. “Nation Hated for Its Good People.” The Ledger. 13 September 2001. A17. Tucker, Robert P. “Atonement/At-One-Ment.” Lakeland: UUCL, September 16, 2001. Wilgoren, Jodi and Edward Wong. “Flight 93 Passengers Vowed Fight to the End.” The Ledger. 13 September 2001. A6. Zuckerman, Laurence. “Airline Stoppage A First For U.S.” The Ledger. 12 September 2001. A7. |