9/11 Ten years later: The Power of Silence and Seeing

We do not know what will present itself in any next moment. On Sept 11th 10:45 am 2001, we did not know what 10:46 am would bring. I wonder how many of us consider what we might have learned from that one minute tick to the next – that now brings us to that same digital moment in time – 10 years later.

I found myself wondering if I would attend the momentous events planned around the city to bring so many together, focused, and sharing the same powerful experience. I am drawn to events when I sense entire cities, countries, nations and peoples, all “gathered” in the moment. The Quaker term “to gather” (in silence) is used to describe the potential for all who are present to share in a connection with that which is beyond. For these moments, it is said, all are "gathered" and "covered" with a presence of this spirit.

Interestingly enough, I chose not to “gather” with these sacred groups ten years at the exact minute-moment later. I planned nothing for the day, but to do my weekly discipline of spending one day each week in a coffee shop, writing, and allowing whatever would unfold, to do its magic. On my way to the coffee shop, I turned on National Public Radio. It just happened to be exactly 10:45am. At Ground Zero, they marked the moment in Silence. At 10:47am President Barack Obama broke the Silence by reading Psalm 49 which contains my favorite quote "Be still and know that I am God".

Sitting in the coffee shop, I opened the Sunday paper and began to read the gamut of experiences expressed about the time between that day’s moment and today's 10 year old moment. I found myself avoiding the articles of “them vs. us” and found myself drawn more to those like Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post who said “A nation cannot heal itself without self-awareness. On this score we have fallen short. We seem not to want to recognize that we don’t have a problem; we ARE the problem”. It reminded me of the Easter Lenten season, one year before 9/11/2001. For Lent, many Christians give up something. Not being of any one religion, but enjoying the beauty in all, I decided instead of giving-up…I would try giving-in. I “gave-in” by trying the practice of smiling more at others. I did it for one year. It was an amazing year. I noticed how much we do not look at one another, we do not see one another, and heaven forbid, we should ever look into one another’s eyes. Sometimes, when I would smile at someone….this pain-filled pattern would shift. You could tell, we both knew something different was happening. Something out of our ordinary.

As lessons go… I didn’t recognize the meaning of this practice until one year later – Sept 11, 2001. After 24 hours of watching the unbelievable become believable on TV, I had to break myself away from the event and wander out. I found myself at the grocery store when the one year old Lenten lesson’s message started to unfold. People, joined in this moment, began to look at one another. I melted into what it took for us to look in, look up and look at one another. Now, ten years later, there is a power in the moment, to gather with one another in Silence and Seeing. To look at one another, look with one another, no matter who we are or what we are. To continue to ask “What have we learned? What are we learning? – And are we doing it together or apart in the power of any one given minute and moment.