Two important days this week, Labor Day and the observance of 9/11. Both days are important to note, but for different reasons.
We all know Labor Day is the unofficial end to Summer, although we can’t tell it from the heat we’re experiencing. Children are back in school, we start to see signs of Fall beginning to pop up, and the days are getting shorter.
Labor Day is one of those holidays we ease into, it doesn’t have the push and punch of Thanksgiving or Christmas, or even the Fourth of July. Its more of a laid back day, filled with time to “chill out” with family and friends. Its usually celebrated with cookouts and maybe swim parties and other outdoor activities. It makes for a nice long weekend as it always occurs on the first Monday of September.
Labor Day is important, even though we approach it with a casual attitude. It is a day to celebrate and honor the women and men in this country who work hard every day to prop up their part of society with their contribution. It has its roots in the 19th century as a way to honor labor unions and workers around the country. I am a former proud member of a union and I know the contributions unions have made in making the lives of working people better.
I know exactly where I was on 9/11, just as I’m sure those of you who were alive during that time do as well. I was living in the Pleasant Grove part of Dallas, pastoring the Pleasant Mound United Methodist Church. I was at home doing some reading, preparing for a sermon. My phone rang and it was another pastor friend of mine who was so agitated by what was going on. I hadn’t turned on the tv or radio that morning, so I was completely unaware. I thought he was being overly dramatic until I turned on the tv news. It was horrible to see one of the twin towers burning, and worse yet to see the second tower hit. And then the big implosion as the building collapsed to the ground. It was surreal, it seemed like it just wasn’t possible.
Like many of my colleagues, I went into action to contact the members of my congregation. We hurriedly planned a time to come together for prayer. My congregation was made up of mostly older people, many who had served during World War II. No matter the age though, we were all aghast and in shock at what had occurred. We did not have a service in the sanctuary. We decided it would be better to gather in a circle out on the front lawn of the church as a witness to the community. We gathered and prayed and sang. You could feel the traffic around us slowing and witnessing our observance. It was a time like none I had ever experienced, or have since.
The days that followed were tense, everyone was on edge. We stayed glued to the news for more information. We heard of the struggles of many who were stranded away from home as transportation had slowed to a crawl. The following Sunday was truly something to behold, every church saw a surge in attendance. People were coming to the place where they were seeking comfort, solace, and dare I say, hope.
In commemorating Labor Day, the scripture comes to mind from Matthew 9:37-38 where Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Of course Jesus is talking about needing workers who will devote themselves to bringing others into the kingdom of God. But we also read in Acts 20:35…”In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” This really puts a real twist on what we work and labor for. Of course we work to earn a living, but we also work to be a contributor to those in need. In that way, all work is sacred when it gives to those in need.
When we think on the terrible day of 9/11, the death and destruction, the fear and anxiety, it is an awful day to remember. But we must remember, we most in all solemnity give thanks to God for having brought us through that terrible time. In Matthew 24:7 we read…”Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Jesus alludes to tragedies that will come. Some see the tragedies as harbingers of end times, but I believe tragedies are a marker to all of us to live our lives as witnesses to God’s goodness in the face of terrible circumstances. We all pulled together on that horrible day. People were seeking hope when all looked hopeless. People of faith gathered and welcomed those around us who were in pain and filled with dread. We prayed and worshipped together. What we say and do IS important, others see it and draw hope from it.
May God continue to bless each of us to be, as George H.W. Bush said, “Points of Light.” Let us share our love and the hope we have with a world that often feels forgotten and anxiety-ridden. We are God’s people, and we are the points of light God is sending into the world.
Your companion on the Way,
Pastor Tom