ST. BARNABAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
142 SAND HILL ROAD
MONMOUTH JUNCTION, NJ
08852-3103
Phone: (732)
297-4607 The Reverend Francis A. Hubbard
Fax: (732) 821-9144 Rector
E-mail:
Stbarn@attglobal.net
7:30 P.M. September 11, 2002
Islamic Society of Central Jersey
Looking out at this wonderful gathering tonight reminds me of the words of the speaker at South Brunswick’s first Interfaith Martin Luther King Day service several years ago: “We may have come to America on different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.”
That is true today, too, in a different way, as we are well aware on the
anniversary of terrorist attacks which took the lives of an extraordinary
rainbow of Americans of many faiths, as well as citizens of other
countries. We are all in the same boat now.
But what a boat it is. It
is a boat called America. We here tonight, all of us, are among those who put the us in U.S. We the people:
Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, Sikh, all others and “none of the above” are
Americans. We are all in the same
boat.
Two hundred and twenty-six years ago, Americans told the world we were Americans, and that we were going to
govern ourselves without a king.
Many people in other countries thought it would never work. We said, “Just watch us.”
Fifteen years after that, we added the Bill of Rights to our Constitution,
guaranteeing (among other things) freedom of religion and separation of
church and state. Many people in other
countries thought, “Now that will really never work.” And we said, “Just watch us.”
And today, there are some, very dangerous people in other
countries who don’t want it to work.
To them let us all say together, ‘JUST WATCH US.’
We the people of the most religiously diverse nation in the world commit
ourselves to living at peace with one another, as “one nation, under God” (as
each person understands that phrase!) “with liberty and justice for all.” We are “the land of the free and the home of
the brave”. This is not multiple
choice! Without bravery, freedom will
not survive; without freedom what purpose does bravery serve?
The crisis of the past year has brought us closer together, not
driven us apart as our enemies wished.
Who here is enjoying the hospitality of this wonderful mosque for the
first time? Let’s have a show of hands. And who here is a member of the Islamic
Society of Central Jersey who is participating in an interfaith event for the
first time? (Hands.) Where else in the
world could tonight’s event happen? Is
this a great country or what?
Of course, America is far from perfect.
But if 281 million of us resolve to help make our country better,
how can we fail?
Let us resolve here tonight to go beyond tolerance towards understanding, which
requires meeting and listening to each other more deeply than is possible in a mass
meeting. In your leaflet is a form
which invites you to join an Interfaith dialogue group, and opportunity
to share with others in a significant way.
Fill it out, mail it in and follow through. Community and unity, unity in diversity, are vital to the present
and the future of America – and of the world.
Let us make tonight not just a night to remember a catastrophe, but a
night to begin to deepen our commitment to and understanding of one
another. We shall overcome.