Symbol of Hope – What have we learned?

The tragedy of 9 years old, Christina Taylor Green being killed in Arizona while she was learning about the freedoms in this country and was on her way to meet Rep. Gabrielle Giffords since she was just becoming interested in politics having been elected to student council.

Christina was born on a day of overwhelming tragedy, 9/11/2001.

She died on another.

As a baby, Christina's photograph appeared in a book commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.  Faces of Hope: Babies Born on 9/11 was a project undertaken by a Pennsylvania mother who sought out children from each of the 50 U.S. states to be featured in the book.

"A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on." - Carl Sandburg

"I think it's something hopeful," Christine Naman, the book's author, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2002.   "Maybe they were born to help us remember those who were lost, as well as to help us remember the things we should fight to hold on to. Things like peace, hope, freedom, courage, & kindness . . . Hope was born in every state that day."

It is heartbreaking and leaves us once again with a large hole in our heart.  We did not know Christina but it does not lessen the hollowness felt with such potential and goodness as her bright light senselessly snuffed out.

It does not matter exactly who did this as it is a much too common problem in our society that evil is among us everyday.  They might live across the street or across town.  They may be foreign to our lands or possibly one who has lost the understanding of what our forefathers fought and inspired us as a nation.

We have returned to the comfort of those days before September 11. 2001.  We have moved away from that feeling where many people across this nation came together in sorrow, in anger for what happened, and in celebration to ‘not ever let it happen again’.  We have moved past our outrage and anger looking the other way to those who wish to harm us.

We are hurting again tonight for those who were hurt or killed in Arizona and our collective hearts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones but we need to once again come together aware of what the stakes are to exist in this troublesome world.

I am reminded of a scene from the television series “The West Wing”, and it is so appropriate for this tragedy . . .

“The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight.  They're our students, and our teachers, and our parents, and our friends.  The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels.  But every time we think we've measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless.  This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard.  We will achieve what is great.  This is a time for American heroes, and we reach for the stars."
-- Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen), The West Wing, "20 Hours In America" September 25, 2002

There are only 49 Faces of Hope tonight, let’s ensure that their legacy is not lost in the aftermath of these two tragedies.

Ice