No matter how you try to spin it, no matter your George Bush Derangement Syndrome, no matter your political bent, the United States of America has not seen another 9-11 in the last 7 years.

I remember 9-11-01.  I remember seeing on television the second hit on the towers.  I remember hearing of the Pentagon.  I remember leaving my office and walking down to the church on the corner of 5th and Thackeray in Oakland.

I remember it being empty.  The doors were open and students walking past.  Most were talking about the news.  None were entering the church to pray.  “Where two or three are gathered in my name…” I could not find one.

I walked to Heinz Memorial Chapel.  There were several elderly ladies in there praying the rosary.  Oblivious to everything except their chants.  “Where two or three are gathered in my name…” They were gathered, but Jesus was not there.

I remember searching for someone to help me search for God in all of this.

No one else was searching for me.  Or God.

I went back to the Bellefield Church.  It was still empty. I prayed.  I was alone, but I knew there were those trapped in the rubble of the towers.

Alive.  And more alone than I could ever imagine.  But they were not alone.  As long as my prayers, and the prayers of the millions of others could reach the Ear of the Lord, they would not be alone.

I wish I did not have to be alone on a campus full of thousands of students, staff, faculty, doctors, nurses.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 11th, 2008 at 9:24 pm and is filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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