September 11

September 11 is a hard day for our family. We remember the attacks and the victims, but it's also a day of celebration for us. Finding the right balance is not always easy.

Celebration because we have a niece, a brother and a cousin all celebrating birthdays today. Lots of birthday gifts and parties.

Also, we celebrate Mahatma Gandhi today http://www.nvpf.org/np/english/workadayforpeace/briefhistory.pdf#search=%22mahatma%20gandhi%20september%2011%201906%22

It's not secret that I'm a pacifist. Of the Quaker variety. I immediately recognized what 9/11 would mean in terms of retaliation and immediately started praying that I would be wrong. Clearly I was not. My heart is so very heavy for the 10s of thousands dead Afghani and Iraqi people. People who, contrary to popular belief, are in most cases not freer today than they were 5 years ago. In most places women are afraid to leave their homes and our soldiers are not their friends (you can't train humans to kill, kill, kill and then expect all of them to be able to turn that off).

I wish we could have followed the example of Gandhi. If we were truly a "Christian Nation" we would have. 1st Thessalonians 5:13-15 "... Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. " Not to mention Jesus' message of peace, love and forgiveness.

But that's okay, blame the liberals for the godlessness of the US, not the people who don't actually follow the message of Christ.