I’ve just come back from a fabulous holiday in the Eastern USA going as far north as Portland, Maine, south as far as Washington DC and including 13 States.
It has been lovely, made especially so because of the time we’ve spent together as a family.
It’s also had its emotional places which have caused me to reflect deeply; the Korean and Vietnam war memorials, Arlington cemetery, 9/11 memorials at Ground zero and the Pentagon, and of course the Freedom Tower or One World Trade Center.
I reflected on the meaning of these places – great commitment and great sacrifice and yet at the same time ultimately lives wasted through the greed for power in many different forms.
Two days before we left there was more violence in the town of Charlottesville, Virginia, where intolerance and fascism reared its ugly head. White supremacists, every bit as extreme as those who carried out the 9/11 attacks, caused 3 deaths and 19 injured. And the President failed to send a clear message condemning them.
As I look back at all my photos of Downtown Manhattan, I see the Freedom tower standing out, reflecting the light and shining above the sky line.
My hope and prayer is that this beacon might inspire all who see it to work for love and peace, not hate and war. I pray that we would remember these words from scripture …
Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
1Peter 4:8-9
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