MTC #141 - Seeing People for Who They Really Are

As today commemorates the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, the choir's message in both song and spoken word was one of hope, peace, and rebuilding. The program wasn't specifically a 9/11 "special", but its themes were certainly applicable to the fallout from tragic event, including the songs we sang such as "Hold On", "My Song in the Night", "If the Savior Stood Beside Me", and "Amazing Grace." My favorite of the bunch, musically and lyrically, was "My Song in the Night". Along with 9/11 being a terrifying "night", we all have individual tragedies and hardships that make up our nights. I love the lyrics to this song which speak to getting through the nights:

O Jesus, my Savior, my song in the night
Come to us with Thy tender love, my soul's delight,
Unto Thee, O Lord, in affliction I call,
My comfort by day and my song in the night.
O why should I wander, an alien from Thee,
Or cry in the desert, Thy face to see,
My comfort and joy, my soul's delight,
O Jesus, my Savior, my song in the night

(I just have to add, too, that musically, this song is near perfect in expressing the meaning of the lyrics. My favorite part, musically, is the last 20 seconds or so. For me, it's as if those last 20 seconds represent us going through a trial, finding hope, experiencing fear, but in the end, being filled with peace.)

What I want to say, though, about tragedies, is that even though we desperately wish they never happen, it's always good to note what positive things come from them. I remember after 9/11 feeling like I saw people a little differently. And I remember hearing story after story after story of individuals who also saw their fellow brothers and sisters differently. The stories talked of kindness, service, love, lifting, and sympathizing. It was like people were seeing other people for who they really were. For who they really are. 

I remember having similar feelings after a wind storm hit my town of Centerville back in 2011. Amidst all of the damage incurred by the storm, people were out helping others in the days that followed. Church meetings were even cancelled so that individuals and families could go assist those in need. For a time, normal things that typically comprised daily life, were suspended. And I remember having a good feeling inside that even though a tragedy had occurred, we were all better because of it. Better because we had received a mini wake-up call that helped us to see that the most important thing in this life is how we treat people--how we love people. 

I hope that if there's anything we can take away from remembering 9/11, it's a resolve to look at the people around us as our brothers and sisters and be a little more kind, patient, and loving in our interactions with them. 

God is counting on us to do just that.

Until next time, God be with you.