City Called Heaven

This year, in advance of the anniversary, I've been remembering that day and the aftermath. There is so much. Those attacks re-shaped my life, and have had an immense malign impact upon the world. The killings of thousands that day helped loose the dogs of war which have killed many hundreds of thousands since then. There is lots to remember about that day and the immediate aftermath. For some reason, this year, I find it easier to be in touch with the strong feelings: the shock, the fear, the confusing uncertainty, the horror, the immense sadness... and even the hope, that in the midst of terror, there would be a way out. I remember the shriek of fighter jets over Manhattan that afternoon, roaring out of nowhere, and not being sure if this was threat or protection. I remember the helpless feeling of wanting to do something to heal, to help, to fight back against this assault on humanity and on my city. I remember the smells: the burning which went on for months, the sweat, and...

The great patriotic holiday points back to the date the Continental Congress ratified the text of what is now called the Declaration of Independence . The Congress having two days before taken the decision to declare independence from Great Britain (i.e., to revolt), on the Fourth adopted a text written by Thomas Jefferson declaring that fact and enumerating the reasons. The document was rapidly printed and distributed, with public readings taking place in on July 8th in Philadelphia, PA, Trenton, NJ, and Easton, PA. On July 9th, General George Washington read it to his troops in New York City, while thousands of British troops were in New York Harbor. The first translation, into German, was published on July 9th. It quickly made its way throughout the colonies and was published in British newspapers by mid-August. (Please note in the picture to the left the strikethrough of "Forever" is an anti-counterfeiting device in this official image from the Postal Service.) History ...

Often it happens that a particular carol or Christmas song will stick in your head and maybe your heart. This year I have been humming a particular verse from "Angels We Have Heard On High." Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heav'nly song? The entire second verse is a question! And the answer: "Come to Bethlehem and see..." If you go to Bethlehem, like any good tourist, you will see the Church of the Nativity, and the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. It looks quite a bit different from the humble manger Luke described, or the cave in Matthew’s gospel. Over the centuries the various branches of the Church have enshrined it, decorated it, and (incredibly) fought over it. The witness of faith is that the place of Christ’s birth is important, worthy of veneration, and a testimony to the truth of God’s presence in the world. I agree. As a born and raised Show Me stat...

Two sisters know what priests and seers  could not discern. In Galilean hills  far from Temple Mount  and palace rule... God's afoot  when prophet babe  kicks advent news. "Blessed are you!"  is the first word  out her mouth -  just as it would be  for that heavenly voice  speaking hope to Jordan  and to hungry people  awaiting God on mount or plain  (does it really matter if you read  Matthew or Luke?). Must the powerful tumble  for the lowly to be magnified? Yes, saith the Lord,  who is in the business  of exaltation  without exploitation  so that even  a knocked-up peasant girl  knows favor.  Her little babe,  born to trouble  (so Psalmist sang)  would drink deep of her hope,  gulp down God's promise, choke on power's cruel judgment -  and still he rose. Rose above the sickness  by touching lepers. Rose above sin  by dining with sinners  (the wine was just icing on that cake). Rose above Rome and above Caesar  and...

It is fitting to honor military veterans on November 11. This day was once celebrated as Armistice Day, the day when the first "Great War" came to an end in 1918. Unfortunately, the ending of that war sowed seeds for so many of the bloody conflicts that have haunted us since. Perhaps the most fitting honor we can pay to those in military service is work to bring about peace. While national service comes in many forms, we know that military service is about preparing for and engaging in warfare. Ever-present is the possibility of inflicting and receiving violence. In its very nature, military service puts people in harm's way. On this day, let us remember those who have served, and those in uniform today. May our nation honor them by using our armed forces wisely, by giving thanks for each veteran who has returned home, by caring for those who have been injured in service, and by praying for the safety of each person still on duty.

Twelve years ago a little cat in a tuxedo walked up to me at the corner of Duncan and West Side, and asked “Will you be my person”? I give thanks for the grace which led me to say yes, and I picked him up and tucked him inside my vest. He has been ill for the past couple of weeks. When tuna and ham and raw egg and even his beloved cat treats become pale delights, it is time to say goodbye, which we have been doing for the past few days. Today we made the sad and merciful trip so that his end was as peaceful as most of his life. Rookie loved to receive and give affection. He was usually timid, but not when he got outside on his monthly journeys to the Poconos, where he would quietly munch grass until the spirit took hold of him and he would dash across the yard to rocket ten feet up a tree, take a look around to make sure he was being seen, and then scamper down, to saunter back to the house with studied nonchalance. He wore a perfect tuxedo, all mahogany black except for one whit...

One of the things that most impressed me in the WTC recovery work was the ordinary goodness of so many lives. The New York Times' Portraits of Grief are brief clips of many of the people who died that day. Each 9/11 it is good to review a few of these neighbors. MULTILINGUAL AND MULTINICE Eli Chalouh Fluent in Arabic, Hebrew and English, Eli Chalouh, 23, moved easily among the diverse communities to which his languages gave him access. He spoke Arabic at home, of course: he moved here with his family from Damascus, Syria, when he was 14. At his new job at the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, in the World Trade Center, he spoke Arabic with his Egyptian colleagues, who got a kick out of him. Mr. Chalouh was not Muslim; he was a Syrian Jew, who learned Hebrew at the yeshiva he attended in Brooklyn. America was the country he wanted to wrap his future around. He was always in a rush, determined to cram every moment with English studies and other courses: he w...