Doing the 2996 project the other day was an interesting experience. It was interesting to write a tribute to Peter Rodney Kellerman, because although I didn't know him it was interesting to think about who this random stranger was.Peter worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, in investment bank that held offices on the 101th-105th floors of World Trade Center building one.
Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 employees and it was wierd to look at other tributes and run into the names of others who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald.
I am very thankful for the 2996 project, where bloggers individually took the names of different 9/11 victims and created some sort of tribute for them.
I think the impulse for us on the anniversary of September 11th, is to think about where we (individually) were on the day of the attacks. Understandably so, it was a very traumatic and unfortunate event.
Yet, this project helped refocus our sites on ourselves, and made others think about the experience of 2996 people who died on September 11th. We think about their lost life and their families, and suddenly mode from thinking about ourselves.
It reminds me of the movie A Civil Action, where John Travolta's character, a successful lawyer looses everything in the legal fight for a group of families who's children had died. Initially Travolta's character is self-centered, even in his decision to take the case, but by the end the case and trial become a statement of self-sacrifice and I changed heart as he gives up everything for something greater and beyond himself.
I think in our current society, we learn more and gain more when we, in humility, find ourselves in the place of self-sacrifice. There is something paradoxicly redemptive and valuable about giving ourselves to others. I think Jesus understood that we he died for the sins of others, in his humility and self-sacrifice he receives glory and honor. And then Jesus request the same thing of, that we too would lose our life to find it.
Related Tags: 9-11, Cantor Fitzgerald, September 11, 2996, A Civil Action, John Travolta, Sacrifice, Humility, Selfishness, Jesus, Spirituality, Film
5 comments:
Dude.
You rock.
Beautiful post. I just read your tribute post as well and it's very moving and thoughtful. I hadn't heard of this project until after the fact. Wish I'd known...
As your previous commenter said, Dude. You rock.
Great post!
Wonderful post.
For me, remembering 9/11 was about what can we do as a society to combat this form of extremism? Was this simply a political statement by freedom fighters, an act to punish the infidels, an act of pure evil or something else?
In the past 5 years, I've come to the conclusion that it was an act of evil. The people that perpetuated this crime want to take over the world. They are evil and those that are good have to stand up to them. They do not believe in our right to exist and live our lives how our society deems fit.
I didn't mean to bring the post down, but it's what I have on my mind.
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