I remember how I felt September 11th 2001. I was 16 at the time. I was very confused. I remember feeling as if something was missing in all of the information that was presented to us. I remember the days following the attacks that the way Bush was talking about the whole thing sounded like a story between good and evil. Something didn’t seem right to me.
I then thought, “Well maybe the world is going to end now”. The U.S. and the Middle East is going to start World War 3 and the rest the World is going to choose sides and join in. This was a little naive thinking that this was such a huge even that it would trigger a world war, but that’s what I thought as a 16 year old boy.
When I saw the constant bombardment of bombs in Afghanistan starting on October 7th 2001. I was shocked and horrified. I couldn’t believe that the United States would retaliate by just leveling the place. I began to disbelieve the idea of redemptive violence. My friend Blaze was a pacifist, and I remember telling my mom that night that I was a pacifist, but she explained to me that pacifism was foolish philosophy, telling me that many peopled died for our country and stuff like that. I remember her arguement being persuasive and I think I agreed with her.
It wasn’t until college that I really began to disbelieve the myth of redemptive violence and really began see how it went against God’s plan for Peace in the world. It’s funny that my first real experience with God’s “enemy” love and forgiveness was at the age of 16 and now is a real important aspect of my faith!
