Remembrance, Healing, Hope
and Peace Making
On the Tenth Anniversary of 
The weekend of remembrance began on Saturday evening with an Interfaith Dialog Dinner. Unlike most Saint Mark covered dish events this one had a distinct muti-cultural character. Everyone enjoyed tasting new dishes.
The dialog was thought provoking and informative. Peter Cohen related the long standing interaction of the Jewish community with Saint Mark, Nedal Mefleh's story of post 9-11 discrimination that caused his brother to eventually leave the US for Israel was a painful reminder that there were many ways to be hurt by 9-11. Mary Holly was uplifting in her description of her visit to Turkey and finding a vocation in building relationships between our Saint Mark congregaton and the Muslim community. You can read her remarks here. Kemal Korucu explained the work of the Istanbul Center, and described his participation in a multi-cultural study group that begins their meetings with twenty minutes of silence. Steve introduced a video by Karen Armstrong, a world renowned religious thinker who has written more than 20 books on faith and the major religions, studying what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and how our faiths shaped world history and drive current events. There is a short exerpt of the video below. If you watched the children play after the meal, without regard to their differences in language and faith, you had to have an image of the song from South Pacific, You've Got to be Carefully Taught. The evening was brought to a pleasant conclusion with Harriet Richio reading a selected group of poems, accompianied by Pat Edmonds on a Native American flute.
Just like 9-11-2001 it was a crisp clear morning for our Combined Sunday Service. There were almost 500 people in the Saint Mark Center when Alex Spainhour, Violinist and David Wilcox on the piano, began the Prelude.
Danielle Strader and Ryan Keese read the scripture of the Beatitudes from Mathew Chapter 5. Then the Children assembled for Children's Church. This morning there was a special guest, Tugba Kucukkal, from the Clemson Intercultural Dialog Club. She treated the children to a description of her home in Turkey and some Turkish candy.
During the Litany of Remembrance, Penitence and Hope the acoltyes lit ten candles as the congregation responded to prayer for ten specific groups or events of 9-11.
In the Act of Reconciliation, Kamal Korucu, Peter Cohen and Steve Morgan add stones of three colors for the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths to healing waters.
The following videos contain the three speakers at the service. Peter Cohen gives Greetings from Jewish Friends. Gold Star Mother, Ann Hampton relates the moving story of the death of her daughter in the Iraq War, and her subsequent relationships with other Iraqi mothers. Kemal Korucu begins by questioning why some in the world think we should be enemies. He goes on to relate three short stories that illustrate what Islam is. Stories that inspire him and lead him in how he lives his life. The video concludes with Sean Anderson singing the benediction hymn. These videos are each twelve minutes. There are two because of server time limits. These videos contain the heart of the day's message and you are encouraged to watch them, particularly if you were not able to attend on Sunday.
Part One
Part Two
Karen Armstrong
On Sunday afternoon a community event, Remembering September 11th was held at the Brook Center on the Clemson campus. Over 800 people attended. A combined choir from several local chruches directed by David Wilcox of Saint Mark performed Inscription of Hope by Z. Randall Stoope. The hymn is based on writings found on a basement wall after the Holocaust.
Nedal Medfleh representing the Islamic Society of Clemson spoke on diversity, the kind of diversity that strenthens the humanity in all of us. He made the point that the Pledge of Allegiance refers to "Liberty and Justice for All" Then he introduced fifteen speakers of different faiths and nationalities, who in turn expressed words of peace in their own language.
There were four personal stories by:
Cindy Pury who discredited the common belief that text messages on 9-11 were largely hate filled. She showed that they were actually concerns for each other.
Gold Star Mother, Ann Hampton's story was even more moving and emotional than the morning.
Pakistani, Ammar Ahmed witnessed the towers fall in Pakistan, but had relatives in New York City. He arrived here in 2006. He related the Islamic philosophy: To save a life is to save all humanity. To take a life is to kill all humanity.
Samia Hassan of Walhalla, SC was 12 on 9-11. She related her experiences on the acceptance of Muslims and her dress post 9-11. She believes things are getting better, and even joked that people ask if she wears her scarf in the shower.
Peter Cohen, one of the principal organizers closed the ceremony.The banner in the background behind Samia and Peter contains the signatures of those attending the service. One of the signature strips was attached as each speaker addressed the audience. The Banner will travel to faith and community groups in South Carolina.
If you watched television Saturday and Sunday you relived a lot of the horror and suffering of 9-11. If you participated in the above you experienced a very different range of emotions.