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The Bishop's Notebook, Ground Zero in its twilight
26 October 2001
Day 46 of the 100 Days
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This
recent trip to the pile was certainly different from those rough
and ready days during that awful, first week. Now we are aware as
much of the potential danger in our mailboxes as we are of the epic
pictures of the WTC and the Pentagon.
Some things don't change though. The squads may be smaller but the
persistence of the pit workers is still there to find remains or
personal possessions. In the overnight Saturday to Sunday morning
we uncovered nothing, though. The exhilaration of a find and maybe
a sacramental moment never came. When a void was discovered it was
usually an entry way into an area that had already been checked.
It was grimy, suffocating work done on your knees amidst some of
the most toxic ground on the planet. Your palms tingled through
the heavy gloves. Attention is now focussed on Fresh Kills landfill/dump
where everything from this deconstruction site is hauled. There,
morticians and others rake and sift through the fine rubble again
and again hoping for something to enable DNA comparisons.
The stress on the recovery workers is almost intolerable. Said one
to me, "My wife said, 'OK, this is enough, the kids and I haven't
seen you in three weeks!'" But they have to be out there digging,
they say. Oklahoma City has seen so much of this before and we have
a lot to learn from that time capsule. Some frightening statistics
await us: 40% increase in the divorce rate and similar spiked increases
of abuse after a disaster. We can be prepared if we don't lose heart.
Everything has a time. With the memorial service this Sunday come
the first pause ever in the work since September 11th and a new
schedule. Nothing will be attempted during cold winter nights. The
site will be closed until dawn.
Perhaps we are all dulled by the intensity of this recovery, so
it is refreshing to be brightened by a sense of history. As one
beam was pulled from the wreckage that night a welded seam popped
open producing a treasure trove of "illegal" old beer cans, recognizable
by their 1970's zip tops and hard rimmed bottoms. Apparently
the welders had had some quick beers for lunch as they cat-walked
back and forth on the newly installed
girders 100 stories up. Consigning the spent cans to what they thought
was oblivion, they welded the secret shut. Who would have thought
this would be disclosed?
Having a sense of history whether it is from the learnings of the
prior anguish in Oklahoma City, or now, the impromptu guffaw from
an ironworker's lunch hour, it all contributes to a sense of time
and space and how we occupy ourselves in these days. Not coincidentally
the Daily Office Psalter selection ended with this: "Be strong
and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord."
Ps 31:24
+gep
The Bishop's Notebook
19 October 2001, Fr. Henry Martyn
Day 39 of the 100 Days
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The
Presiding Bishop and Dedra Bell
chatting after lunch |
I invited
CH Dedra Bell to visit the Executive Council meeting being held
in Jacksonville, Florida at the Sea Turtle Inn. Her duty assignment
is at nearby Mayport Naval Station. Dedra worshipped with Council
members and then joined us for lunch. She remained afterwards so
we could use her advice in the drafting of a national church statement
on the current crisis as well as a strong affirmation of support
for the military.(17
October 2001-- Resolved, that the Council pledges its support and
prayers to members of the Armed Services and their families and
urges congregations and affected employers to make special efforts
to provide continued support and communication to military members
and their families in this time of abrupt
changes in their lives).
Dedra and her husband Vince are especially happy these days because
their little boy, Vince Robert,
will finally be going home on 30 October. Thanks for your supportive
prayers +gep
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Vince Robert and a member
of the nursing staff
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The Bishop's Notebook
12 October 2001
Day 32 of the 100 Days
| Archdeacon
Cohoon and Bishop Packard discuss plans for evaluation |
As we observed that a month had passed since that horrible day of
September 11th, I thought that we should be evaluating what we were
doing. The intention of this exercise is to determine how our assistance
is being applied, right or wrong, and then to formulate a plan for
successive phases of the "100 Days Support Plan", and finally, to
assist in the formation of a permanent disaster response in the Episcopal
Church.
So, I invited the former Canon to the Ordinary from the Diocese of
Kansas, Archdeacon Frank Cahoon, to come to New York, and out of retirement,
for this task. He had e-mailed me simply with, "George, can I help?"
As a highly respected outsider, Frank brings objectivity and his well-known
organizational skills to this moment. So far he has interviewed Presiding
Bishop Frank Griswold and his staff, the Rector of Trinity Church,
Dan Matthews, and his staff, the Bishop of New York, Mark Sisk, and
his staff, as well as many other notable persons in the field associated
with the New York City crisis. Archdeacon Cahoon has reserved a healthy
portion of time for Pentagon contacts as well.
At his meeting with departmental leaders at which he commissioned
a senior group to give him recommendations on future disaster responses,
the Presiding Bishop enthusiastically welcomed the Archdeacon and
asked him to convey his report for their use.
One of the great positives is how this office has been able to "bridge
the gap" between dioceses while supporting the Diocese of New York
and its parishes. Day by day, and together, we are creating a response
to this enormous need. A specific example is composing a clergy rota
for duty at Ground Zero. The team meets weekly, collating names, welcoming
reinforcements from neighboring dioceses, and deftly applying guiding
principles of pastoral and sacramental experience. +gep
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Dall
Forsythe of the Diocese of New York and Fr. Lyndon Harris,
Pastor, St. Pauls' Chapel
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Archdeacon
Kendall of the Diocese of New York with David Munk (seated)
and Dr. David Henritzy of our office.
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Sister
Grace Gallant of St. Paul's Chapel and Fr. Andy Dietsche,
Canon for Pastoral Care for the Diocese of
New York
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The Bishop's Notebook
Francis of Assisi,
4 October 2001
Day 24 of the 100 Days
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That
I should update you on this gentle saint's day is striking. A holy
life beckons us forward. We have wrestled with the way to be in
the aftermath of these tragedies. I have shared on other occasions
how, despite memories of combat experiences in Vietnam, the lethality
and intention of these escapades were a jolt. Yet, when Gerry Blackburn
and I were at the Pentagon on Friday another dimension was added
to this tragedy: the hijacker-pilot in Washington, DC turned the
plane on end and added more speed so the fuselage entered the building,
intensifying the damage.
How can you not hate these criminals? I have a contemplative friend
who has committed his life to solitary reflection. He wrote to me
of literally entering the pain of the experience by prostrating
himself on the floor before God. He felt the devastation, the loss,
the futility of the acts. I wish I lived there. I'm stuck loving
my country and wanting to right this terrible wrong and hoping it's
OK with the Lord. I believe it is.
I don't claim insight, but there is a surety to saying that God
is on the side of goodness and that evil will not stand; and that
we are called to bring justice to bear. Most of all, that being
an American and inhabiting full patriotism is no sin. I say "full
patriotism" because that means dissent is not disposable. Will we
fight for an Arab-American to object to our foreign policy? Can
we cite the imperfection of this Republic?
Still, our nation is a marvel. Benjamin Barber writes of free citizenship
as political currency and ultimately giving democracy its civic
solvency. I am bewildered by my religious colleagues. Why should
we be timid about affirming such wealth in these days? A pat on
the back would be nice right about now.
God is forever patient with us in this process. We are toddlers
now. We will see how imprisoned our hate can make us and that when
forgiveness is withheld, enemies exert power over destiny. We will
study revenge and thank God we had the discipline to measure our
responses. We will even candidly assess the excesses of our lives
in the midst of an impoverished world and, maybe, export more of
our good values and less of our worst.
Being young in this moment is not sinful. It has the beginnings
of the best in us and all the quickened energy meant to rise when
evil tries to seize control. Our prayer is that we thank God for
this day and its blessings (our country, each other) and that we
grow into the fullness meant through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
+gep
"Jihad vs. McWorld, How Globalism and Tribalism are Reshaping
the World", pp. 223-4, Benjamin R. Barber, Ballantine Books, NY,
1996.
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| Reflections
from our Family |
CRISIS MINISTRY
AT THE PENTAGON -
THE TRAGEDY OF 11 SEPT 01
REFLECTIONS BY
CHAPLAIN, CAPTAIN, MARCEL G. ALGERNON
From
the ash and rubble around us the human spirit rises to comfort and
hold in its gentle embrace the bruised and broken pieces of the many
lives interrupted. This was the vision that greeted me when I arrived
at the Pentagon for my first 12-hour shift on 13 September 2001. I
was apprehensive, shocked, angry, but soon inspired and motivated
by the genuine expressions of kindness and purity of love which made
a world of difference to the difficult work before us. The strength,
determination, and courage of everyone remained high and matched only
by the humble desire of so many who stopped at frequent intervals
for prayer and worship. God had indeed poured His grace freely upon
us and we embraced the sanctity of the moment and the fullness of
His love.
Each day began with its surprises and challenges but with the visible
and pleasant reminder that God's presence brings comfort, strength,
and a quiet confidence that all is well. The many chaplains deployed
in Base Camp was a welcoming sight and a reassuring presence of God's
peace which transcends all human understanding to keep our hearts
and minds in the knowledge and love of God. Military chaplains of
every description joined with civilian counterparts and walked the
beat ministering to all whose duty had brought them together in this
place. And to those who perished our prayers were offered at every
stop along the journey from the building to the morgue.
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I heard many poignant stories like the young enlisted seaman who told
of being delayed at an earlier PCS appointment at the Navy Annex.
As he returned, he was horrified to see fire and smoke coming from
the area of the Pentagon where he worked. He knew many people who
perished including his replacement who had arrived two weeks earlier.
I sensed anguish in the voice of the Red Cross volunteer who asked
about the nature and existence of evil. I saw courage in the eyes
of a 19-year-old marine who volunteered to work on a recovery team.
I listened and was reassured that this tragedy solidified our passion
for justice and resurrected the corporate human resolve to always
find and project God's truth and beauty. The stories told were painful
yet liberating and courageous and echoed the unmistakable truth that
life's purpose and meaning is etched in the consciousness of every
endeavor we attempt.
Two weeks passed and the focus of the operation moved into a new phase.
Workers left, others came. Lives were changed, friendships established.
I returned home, thankful for this unique privilege, and joined my
prayer with the voices of many for a safer world. But our intentions
must go deeper and our resolve further. The pervasive spirit of national
unity must bloom beyond the devastation and grief we now experience.
It is our task to rise up from the rubble of life and make real the
vision God sends our way - one of people standing hand-in-hand to
show and reflect the power and intensity of God's love.
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