From My Memory In Memory of Others
For my church's memorial service for the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, I was asked to compose a reading in remembrance. After the reading, our choir sang the song You Raise Me Up, by Brendan Graham and Rolf Lovland. To listen to the song, click here.
Snow-globes fascinate the eyes and minds of children. The white flakes whirl around a plastic skyline and blue sky. Many a New-Yorker viewed these toys in souvenir shops lning their route to work. But the life-size snow-globe of September 11 did not evoke any of the same feelings as the familiar toys. The white flakes were not snow, but memos, contracts, and office paper floating through the turbulent air; the skyline marred by plumes of smoke billowing from the World Trade Center towers. New York was not alone in facing fmailiar sights gone mad. The Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93 also dealt with situations they hoped only to view second handedly.
While the rest of the nation and world did only view the events of that pivotal day, nonetheless that day affected the entire globe. I am sure that some of you can remember Pearl Harbor and more of you can remember JFK's assassination and the majority of you can remember the Challenger explosion. So also, we will all remember September 11 and where we were when we heard the news.
Myself, I had just recently started my first year of high school. On that morning, my brother and I got ready for school and ten minutes before we left for the bus, my parents turned the news on to find the coverage of the burning towers and Pentagon attack. My family watched in astonishment and right as we left for the bus, the first tower fell. By the time I arrived at school, the second tower had collapsed and the fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania. In the time of one trip to school, thousands of people died and the global political climate had changed forever.
Upon my return home, after a day of television broadcasts and prayers, the news captivated my attention even more. The stunning and gruesome shots filled the airtime, but interviews with witnesses and family began to air as well. The most soul touching moment of my view of the ordeal aired that afternoon. As a journalist interviewed a woman who had remained near the scene through the day, the woman began to cry so hard, she could not speak. Instead of cutting the broadcast, the journalist immediately wrapped her in his arms and told her that "it would be okay" and that "we will get though this." Any my tears began to fall.
Even in devastation, beauty and love show through. On September 11, our nation united as our name asserts. We strove to raise each other up through our actions and prayers. And through our prayers, God raised us up to stand above mountains fo adversity and walk across seas of turbulence. He raises us up continually to more than we can be, to be with him.
Snow-globes fascinate the eyes and minds of children. The white flakes whirl around a plastic skyline and blue sky. Many a New-Yorker viewed these toys in souvenir shops lning their route to work. But the life-size snow-globe of September 11 did not evoke any of the same feelings as the familiar toys. The white flakes were not snow, but memos, contracts, and office paper floating through the turbulent air; the skyline marred by plumes of smoke billowing from the World Trade Center towers. New York was not alone in facing fmailiar sights gone mad. The Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93 also dealt with situations they hoped only to view second handedly.
While the rest of the nation and world did only view the events of that pivotal day, nonetheless that day affected the entire globe. I am sure that some of you can remember Pearl Harbor and more of you can remember JFK's assassination and the majority of you can remember the Challenger explosion. So also, we will all remember September 11 and where we were when we heard the news.
Myself, I had just recently started my first year of high school. On that morning, my brother and I got ready for school and ten minutes before we left for the bus, my parents turned the news on to find the coverage of the burning towers and Pentagon attack. My family watched in astonishment and right as we left for the bus, the first tower fell. By the time I arrived at school, the second tower had collapsed and the fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania. In the time of one trip to school, thousands of people died and the global political climate had changed forever.
Upon my return home, after a day of television broadcasts and prayers, the news captivated my attention even more. The stunning and gruesome shots filled the airtime, but interviews with witnesses and family began to air as well. The most soul touching moment of my view of the ordeal aired that afternoon. As a journalist interviewed a woman who had remained near the scene through the day, the woman began to cry so hard, she could not speak. Instead of cutting the broadcast, the journalist immediately wrapped her in his arms and told her that "it would be okay" and that "we will get though this." Any my tears began to fall.
Even in devastation, beauty and love show through. On September 11, our nation united as our name asserts. We strove to raise each other up through our actions and prayers. And through our prayers, God raised us up to stand above mountains fo adversity and walk across seas of turbulence. He raises us up continually to more than we can be, to be with him.
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posted by bellevoce | 5:48 PM
2 Comments:
Your speech was amazing Elisabeth. I seriously couldnt take my eyes off of you when you were speaking and thats saying alot because theres only so many people that i will truely listen to. Thank you so much for speaking on Sunday, and once again well done.
You lift me up, John S Stokrp
Elisabeth,
This is great!
I will never, ever, forget that morning. It amazes me how a memory can be so deeply imprinted upon so many people that they will remember and how and when they heard the news of that event happening.
-Mike Morabito
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