A 9/11 Commemoration of Light, Love

Sept. 11, 2001 was one of the most tragic days in American history, and was certainly the most tragic day in the new millennium.

There will be many events on Sunday to mark the 10th anniversary of 9-11, and one of them will be held on Sandy Hook at sunset when the Tribute of Light returns to the skies above New York City for that night.

Since the lights can be seen as far as 30 miles away and four miles into the sky, the Monmouth Center for World Religions and Ethical Thought (MCWRET), is sponsoring a silent meditation called "9/11/11 Standing Together: An Interfaith Witness for Peace."

The event will take place at sunset, 7:12 p.m., at the North Beach on the tip of Sandy Hook where it is hoped that the Tribute of Light, which will consist of two 48-foot rectangles of light in the shape and the orientation of the Twin Towers, will be seen across the Sandy Hook bay in Manhattan.

After the silent meditation, people will be encouraged to great each other and share their wishes for peace.

Three women, whose passion for intercultural understanding has brought them together, are the architects of the secular event that does not include sermons, or speeches, or any of the trappings of religion even though two of them are ministers.

Rev. Virginia Jarocha-Ernst, the minister at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County where the MCWRET holds it meetings, had the inspiration for the event. She said as the summer was winding down and the 10th anniversary of 9/11 was fast approaching, she wanted to do something interdenominational, and so did Stevi Lischen and Rev. Elizabeth Congdon. All three are on the MCWRET board.

The three women met and brainstormed ideas for a commemorative event that would bring together diverse faith organizations.

"We actually chose the simplest idea mainly because there was not a lot of time to plan something more complicated. But, I actually like the simplicity of this idea," Jarocha-Earnst said. "We will just stand together in meditation on the beach at the tip of Sandy Hook where we can see the New York City skyline. Then we will great each other."

Jarocha-Ernst said she was to be ordained on Sept. 16, 2001, just five days before 9/11, but it had to be cancelled. That week, she visited a local mosque in Lehigh Valley, Pa., in order to reach out across the barriers that were becoming a part of the religious landscape at that time.

"There was a lot of misunderstanding about Islam and I thought interfaith dialog was important," she said, adding that she has continued to believe in that concept.

Rev. Elizabeth Congdon, who has been involved with the MCWRET from its inception, almost 16 years, said, "I fear that 9/11 changed all of us. The past ten years have reminded me of the importance of building peace and enhancing dialogue with those of other faiths and traditions especially in these times."

Rev. Congdon has been the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Trenton for two years and is a co-coordinator, with Stevi Lischen, of the MCWRET board.

"I serve as a representative of the board because I am interested in interfaith communication and not because it is part of my job as a minister. It is who I am," she said. "I do communicate with my church about my interfaith activities. Stevi and I are leaders among leaders; inspiring, motivating, facilitating and coordinating the work of the board."

Dr. Stevi Lischen, who teaches intercultural communication at Brookdale Community College, in the Lincroft section of Middletown, and also has a business called the Project for Intercultural Development with her husband, Dr. Robert Smith, said her focus and passion in everyday life is to deepen communication and understanding between diverse groups. She hopes that the Sandy Hook event will help since the focus will be on the interfaith aspect of coming together.

"There are so many compelling events happening in Monmouth County that day and all week," Lischen said. "Most of them focus on one religion with a minister who gives a prayer. We wanted to focus on what is not being done."

When the women presented the idea to the full MCWRET board, she said they embraced it wholeheartedly.

The principal purpose of the Monmouth Center for World Religions and Ethical Thought is to enhance the acceptance of religious and cultural diversity and the practice of understanding towards those who beliefs differ. The Boards includes Baptists, Bahai, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, Unitarian Universalist, Muslim, Catholic, Universalist Christian, Jewish Reform, Christian Scientist, African Methodist Episcopal, and Quaker representatives.

Rev. Jarocha-Ernst said they have no idea how many people will attend, but they did send out a large mailing to many different religious denominations. "I think of it as an instant gathering," she said. "Everyone, all ages and all faiths, is welcome."

Lischen, who lives in Atlantic Highlands and has a view of the Manhattan skyline, said Sandy Hook is a perfect spot to have this kind of event. "We hope to connect with others in solitude and reflection," she noted.

Rev. Congdon said she is going to be busy that day. "I am also involved with the United Mercer Interfaith Organization," she explained. "We are also holding an interfaith event in Trenton on 9/11 from 2:30 to about 4 p.m.. We will begin with prayer on the NJ State House steps and then walk (about 450 feet) to the auditorium of the NJ State Museum for an afternoon of reflection.

Of both events she said, "We hope to provide an opportunity for remembering, honoring, grieving and being in solidarity with those of many faiths."

For more information contact Rev. Virginia Jarocha-Ernst, minister@uucmc.org.