A 9/11 Reflection: Fear and Love

I am one of the last generations to know what life was like before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It was a terrifying day that opened up for me a world that was increasingly dangerous and fearful, but I do recall a time before the attacks. A time of peace and tranquility. I’m not saying that there was no danger before 9/11. There certainly was. But after those attacks the whole world seemed to be a dangerous place.

This morning, as I listened to news reports remembering 9/11, I looked at my son and the back of the car, and it hit me. His entire life is post-9/11. I asked myself, what kind of world do I want him to live in. One of fear, or one of love?

This election cycle has reminded us of where a worldview guided by fear gets us. Chants to build a wall, KKK pamphlets being passed out encouraging hate against refugees, proposals to ban all people of certain faiths and skin tones. Fear leads to hate which leads to oppression which leads to violence.

Do I really want my son to live in a world like that?

It would seem, then, that we have a choice to make. Do we continue in fear, or do we seek another way, namely the way of love?

“Love those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you, said Jesus.

Paul tells us to feed our hungry enemies, to repay evil with good, and to bless our persecutors.

When we hate and fear we erect more and more barriers and continually isolate ourselves from the gift of the Other. We end up being lesser than we could be, and we’ll live our lives missing out on the beauty and diversity of God’s image bearing creation.

When we love and serve, even those who do us harm, we tear down the walls that already exist and we grow closer to the full image of God that is found in all the diversity of humanity.

Is this dangerous? Of course. But we were never promised that it would be any other way. The man we claim to follow as Messiah died on the executioner’s cross doing and teaching enemy love. But through that sacrifice he opened up to us a liberation from the chains of hate and fear.

So for my son I choose to love, especially those who are most different, even if they do me harm. I do this in the hope of a future of love and peace instead of one of hate and fear.