R. D. Kushner
September 11, 2002

Today is not a day for blame. Today is not a day for debate. It is not a day for playing politics or touting religion. Today is not even a day for patriotism. Today is simply a day for remembering.

The Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah is typically a time of reflection and celebration; and this year, for all Americans, there is much to reflect on and also much to celebrate. I heard a sermon last weekend that contained an anecdote that was as simple and clear as a Zen koan. It highlighted an interesting dichotomy of human existence: that a person is both unique and insignificant at the same time.

The Rabbi stated that you should have two pieces of paper in your pocket at all times, and you should read them every day. One piece of paper that says you are small and insignificant and nothing more than a collection of dust, and another that says that you are unique and irreplaceable. The humility of such a statement is staggering; it celebrates the brilliance of the metaphysic of human self-consciousness, while also acknowledging that one life is less than a spec of dust in an infinite universe.

Today is a day for remembering. And as we remember, we should think about how small the world will feel today; a day when all of humanity will be sharing the same memories. In different languages and in different countries across the globe the human mind will be fused as one giant metallic weld of consciousness. Some will laugh, some will cry, some will mourn and some will celebrate, some will lash out, some will conceal their emotions, some will reach out to strangers and some will turn their backs on friends, some will become angry and some will be calmed, some will feel lost in a sea of doubt and some will gain new clarity of vision, some will hate, some will love, some will try hard just to remember and some will beg to forget.

Today there is an electric current pulsating through the mind; there is an unconscious awakening in the deepest recesses of the brain. The human instinct to try to make sense of the world has been vibrated like the chord of a cello and the resonances have synchronized the meditations of an entire planet.

A week from now this advancing tide will recede. If we are lucky, this rise will have been revelatory, and its retreat will reveal that our insignificance is a great asset. As the entire world surveys the landscape of its memories one thing will stand out like a blazing sun on the western horizon: each day should be lived as a celebration of life. This is what we will need to remember.