Sunday, September 08, 2002
Special services focus on healing, hope - and even on forgiveness
By Karen Vance
Enquirer Contributor
Hundreds of churches will open their doors Wednesday in observance of the tragic events of Sept. 11. Those who attend those special services and prayer meetings will hear messages of forgiveness, comfort and hope.
“Our culture is about being in control and making decisions, but (Sept. 11) is a reminder that we don't have all the answers and we aren't in control,” said Nan Peete, canon for ministry for the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio. “There's only one place where we can look for answers. We look to the church for guidance.”
One message that may be difficult for some this year: The need to forgive.
“It's about praying for justice, praying for peace and what does it mean to say we're praying for our enemies,” Canon Peete said. “The important thing to remember when we pray for our enemies is that they're people who are hurting too.”
More than a dozen Episcopal churches will have special observances for the 26,000 members in the diocese and the general public. The Christ Church Cathedral, 318 E. Fourth St., downtown, will host an interfaith service at noon.
“We expect people will come off the street on their lunch hour looking for solace and comfort,” Canon Peete said. “It transcends denomination and religion. The resurgence of attendance after Sept. 11 shows there is a really deep spiritual hunger in this life.”
Rabbi George Barnard of the Northern Hills Synagogue B'Nai Avraham in Springfield Township saw the way Sept. 11 unified the community. That's one of the many themes he'll touch on over the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur holidays as well as at an interfaith service in Finneytown.
“One of the things that came out last Sept. 11 is that we're all Americans, and we have that in common,” Rabbi Barnard said. “Many of the memories of Sept. 11 are coming back, and people are hoping to reconnect with each other.”
The synagogue will join six other congregations at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at St. Bartholomew's Catholic Church, 9375 Winton Road, Finneytown. A smaller service will follow at the synagogue.
Faith as an anchor
“At times like these, our lives are shaken, and we don't know what to hold onto, and that's what our faith is supposed to do, give us that something,” the rabbi said.
Unity, mutual friendship, brotherly love and the hope of peace are thoughts Dr. Qureshi Majid plans to take with him to prayer at 6:15 a.m. on Sept. 11. Dr. Majid, one of the founding members of the Islamic community in Cincinnati, will join other Muslims in the first of five daily prayers that day at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati in West Chester.
“We are part of this country, and we observe anything that hurts this country because it hurts us too,” Dr. Majid said.
Then on Friday afternoon during congregational prayer, there will be special observances of the anniversary of the tragedy. And when the new mosque opens in October, Dr. Majid, manager of the new facility, hopes to name it “Peace Mosque” in honor of the hope that communities can come together.
Turning to religion in times of crisis, turmoil and sorrow is nothing new in today's world, said William Madges, the chair of the theology department at Xavier University. Historically, religion has helped people heal after a tragedy by filling an important spiritual, psychological and social need.
“How (do we) make sense of the world when there is evil in it and there is a God? Religion helps us in our quest to make sense of something that doesn't make sense,” Mr. Madges said.
People also turn to church to reconnect with God out of a sense of their own mortality and concern that death is not a predictable event, he said.
“That event happening is like a slap in the face or a wakeup call. "What if I had died today? What would be my eternal fate?' ” Mr. Madges said.
And third, religious messages can give a sense of comfort and solace, both through ritual and through community.
“If you're facing a crisis or a personal issue, most of us find it easier to work it through together. We feel like we can handle it,” he said. “We feel connected with God when we're connected with other people.”
And it's that connection the Mount Zion Baptist Church, at 10180 Woodlawn Blvd., Woodlawn, is looking to foster with prayer and services starting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 11.
“Our faith just increases with the sense of community. You see everyone so entirely and sincerely focused on prayer and it only helps,” said Helen Kegler, the organizer of the event. “It's more Christian values that come through, of love, peace and forgiveness.”
As part of the service, Mt. Zion will also recognize the racial struggles the city has endured in the last year and pray for their resolution and for peace, she said.
“As African-Americans, we relate to what's going on in the city, with the boycotts and what not,” Ms. Kegler said. “It's painful for us and a sign our faith has to be stronger that God can help us through our adversity and increase our hope for a better future.”
That search for hope will be a central theme for the service today at Mount Washington Church of Christ, said David Ray, senior minister for the church.
A special worship service will be held this morning at 8:30 and 11 a.m. at the church, 6986 Salem Road, commemorating the events of Sept. 11, and the church will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for individual prayer.
“I think what people are desperately looking for is hope,” Pastor Ray said. “The media can tell us what happened and give us numbers. But there are some things only faith can tell us.”
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