9/11- Ten Years Later.

This weekend marks the ten year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  All week there have been specials on TV looking back at the attacks: remembering people who were killed, talking to their families and friends, survivors re-living the events of that horrible morning... I've thought a lot this week about the tragedy, and ten years later the thought of it still makes me emotional and bewildered.  But that's not just me, it seems like there are no answers to why the attacks took place.  It seems like America has spent the last ten years picking up pieces from that day, but not actually answering the questions on everyone's mind: WHY did this happen? HOW is there so much prejudice and hate in the world that a group of people could do this to another group of complete strangers? And WHO can we hate for this!?  I went to church this evening and Pastor Michael spoke of the remembrance of 9-11,  and the scripture he was referencing keeps playing over in my head- it addresses a lot of my feelings about 9-11, and about some of the issues I've faced in my personal life over the past few years.

Romans 12:14-21
¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[c] Do not be conceited.
 ¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[d] says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:
   “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
   if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[e]
 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.