October 7, 2001

Dear Florida District UUs,

I am not going to send you a traditional packet letter this month. Too much has happened since the September packet. There are just as many wonderful events for you to consider as ever. The contents of these workshops and seminars deserve your fine attention, but I will let them stand on their own while I address the issue that is most on my mind today and that is our congregational response to the events of September 11.

I am reminded of the little book that Sam Keen wrote years ago entitled, Faces of the Enemy. In that book he said that in order to murder, we must construct the face of the enemy with such a threatening demeanor that we can kill that person with impunity. It is obvious to me that those who ran themselves in our buildings killing themselves and thousands of others found such a threatening demeanor in the faces they created of us.

I, like so many of you, WANT to be able to identify such a clear enemy today as the terrorists had that fateful morning. I know, though that the enemy is a many faced hydra. The hydra bears the faces of frustration, hate and misguided leadership. That same face is one of ignorance and anger, fear and despair, injustice and marginalization. I believe strongly that if I shut myself down and give a single name to the enemy, it will be at my peril. My sense of peace may be restored if someone is killed and they have marked on their graves the names of "terrorist". The death of a few right now will not kill the beast of hate that lurks beneath the surface, though. The peace that might be restored will be a false peace for only the physical face of hydra will be gone and in its place another will be created that has the power to be much more dangerous.

My intense desire to create this enemy is a direct reaction to my anxiety and wish to be restored to the easy nonchalance of my pre-September 11 life. This anxious time calls Unitarian Universalists to the be in disturbed relationship to the complexity of our response. We proclaim that we affirm a free and responsible search for truth and meaning and couple that with the right of conscience. I believe we must hold those responsible for the mis-use of their anger and hate accountable for their egregious behaviors. Accountability is the price of the freedom we each have to use or mis-use our freedom for good or evil.

I also believe that each of us bears a profound responsibility to search that which we do and that which is done in our name for the sources of anger in the hearts of some that grew into the tragedy that anger birthed on September 11. We are not to blame for the deaths in this event, make no mistake that I say that, for that responsibility is for those who mis-used their anger to destroy others. What I ask is that in conjunction with bringing those actually responsible to justice for their acts, that we enter into a time of deep discernment between ourselves as UUs and as citizens of the world.

One of the most powerful traditions that we have in our faith is to the right of conscience. During this time we will not agree on where that right leads us. I ask that this be a time of covenants of safety between us to express that which is troubling our hearts and minds. I ask us also to find a commitment to the maintenance of our relationships, especially when we disagree. We love our diversity. Let our actions show that face to each other and to the world. During this time our understandings of tolerance will be tested. Let this be a time for us to expand our understanding of the myriad ways we construct meaning. Let it be a time to reinforce our deepest held trust that we can be ourselves in our congregations as we wrestle with the terribly complex path that is laid before us. Our history has had us both proud and divided during times of great social stress. Let us reason together about what conditions we need to have in place in our congregations to make this a time of our greatest pride in our response rather than a time we will recall with shame. It is not only our congregations that will be the better for this but all humanity. I believe we have a faith understanding that can save lives. This is a time to demonstrate and share that tradition with the communities we live in.

We have a web-site of sermons, responses, poetry, and letters that people are willing to share with others as we grapple with this tragedy and its implications. If you have items to share, please e-mail them to us at the District office. If you want to access those that are online already go to www.cyberstreet.com/uufld/sermons.htm. May the power and strength of this faithful tradition be strengthened and grow between you in the days and months ahead.

In Faith and Love,

Mary Higgins