September 11 Memorial Service: Opening Remarks
All of us who were alive on the morning of September 11, 2001 remember where we were and what we were doing that fateful day.
On the tenth anniversary of these horrific tragedies, we gather to remember all of the precious and innocent lives that were lost that day. We gather to stand with all who continue to grieve...
We stand with the first responders who gave their lives so that others might live.
We stand with those who risked their lives to rescue both the living and the dead from the rubble.
We stand with those who answered their nation's call to defend all of us from harm and danger.
We stand with the families of those brave women and men who never made it home.
We stand together as one nation, still bearing the wounds we suffered that day. We come together today for healing; to pray for peace; to be illumined with hope.
As violence, poverty, and injustice continue to plague the world we live in, let us commemorate this day by rededicating ourselves to the selflessness and charity we demonstrated on that horrific day ten years ago. When evildoers attacked us with their hate, we fought back with love. Police, firefighters, and rescue personnel went into the fire to save the lives of people they had never met. Our nation came together as one people, giving of ourselves and our gifts to help those in need.
So in this time of prayer and remembrance, our call is clear: the only way that this nation and this world can be healed is by all of us working together for peace and for justice. Justice happens when we love one another as ourselves. And where there is justice, there is peace.
But God also commands us to forgive those who hurt us so terribly-- which is a very hard thing to do. Even though we can never forget the lives that we're lost that day, We turn our hearts, our minds, and our hands to healing. And by the grace and strength of Almighty God, we can overcome the evil we suffered that day. We can build a better world for our children.
So today we pray for God to heal our nation, knowing that God will use our hands for this purpose.
We also pray for those who continue to risk their lives to protect us and rescue us from danger-- at home and around the world.
We pray for an end to violence and human suffering-- and we look forward with hope to the day when we will beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks; when our world will finally be at peace.
On the tenth anniversary of these horrific tragedies, we gather to remember all of the precious and innocent lives that were lost that day. We gather to stand with all who continue to grieve...
We stand with the first responders who gave their lives so that others might live.
We stand with those who risked their lives to rescue both the living and the dead from the rubble.
We stand with those who answered their nation's call to defend all of us from harm and danger.
We stand with the families of those brave women and men who never made it home.
We stand together as one nation, still bearing the wounds we suffered that day. We come together today for healing; to pray for peace; to be illumined with hope.
As violence, poverty, and injustice continue to plague the world we live in, let us commemorate this day by rededicating ourselves to the selflessness and charity we demonstrated on that horrific day ten years ago. When evildoers attacked us with their hate, we fought back with love. Police, firefighters, and rescue personnel went into the fire to save the lives of people they had never met. Our nation came together as one people, giving of ourselves and our gifts to help those in need.
So in this time of prayer and remembrance, our call is clear: the only way that this nation and this world can be healed is by all of us working together for peace and for justice. Justice happens when we love one another as ourselves. And where there is justice, there is peace.
But God also commands us to forgive those who hurt us so terribly-- which is a very hard thing to do. Even though we can never forget the lives that we're lost that day, We turn our hearts, our minds, and our hands to healing. And by the grace and strength of Almighty God, we can overcome the evil we suffered that day. We can build a better world for our children.
So today we pray for God to heal our nation, knowing that God will use our hands for this purpose.
We also pray for those who continue to risk their lives to protect us and rescue us from danger-- at home and around the world.
We pray for an end to violence and human suffering-- and we look forward with hope to the day when we will beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks; when our world will finally be at peace.
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