In 2021, I was honored as the local police chaplain to be asked to provide the invocation for the City of Fredericksburg’s 20th Anniversary 9-11 Memorial. The text of my prayer follows:
“Creator and sustainer of all that is or will ever be, look into our hearts and hear our hidden prayers of lament and hope. We gather this day to mark the horrific loss of life at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the Pentagon, and in New York City. Twenty years have passed, but when we think of that day and the wars that followed, we find that wounds, grief, and anger often remain in our hearts. They have sadly become part of who we are. Yet, we were not created for or are we ultimately defined by such sin and suffering. We were made for life. And so, as we reflect on that day long ago, we also recall our fellow citizens who rose up from the ashes to love their neighbor, to serve, protect and bless. Through small kindnesses and heroic deeds, we made it through, and we walked on together to make it to this day. Many challenges still confront us. Fears threaten our peace. Misunderstandings can separate us. Yet that day long ago still has the power to teach and encourage us. Love matters, and when we trust that it does, death will never have the final word. As we gather this day and in any days that follow, bless us with the wisdom of the elders who came before us that we might see in our neighbors ourselves…that we might learn the truth that we are all relatives. It is you who calls us to love, serve and forgive one another. You call us to new life and beginnings. Through this time together, comfort, encourage and strengthen us for our journey ahead – a journey you ask us to walk together as one with you. Amen.”
As another 9-11 remembrance comes around, feel free to use it or adapt it if you find it helpful or meaningful in any way. Never forget. May the Lord help us to heal, forgive, and reconcile as God’s children.
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Midnights LEO 