Thinking Out Loud

Homily by Kim McElaney, Originally delivered on September 10, 2006

The Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 35: 4-7, Psalm 146, James 2: 1-5, Mark 7: 31-37

As nearly all of us are aware, tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001. For some of us, that may seem like ancient history brought to mind only through recent films or unforgettable news footage. Five years is a long time.

For others of us, memories of that day are distinct and vivid. We remember where we were and who we were with when we heard the unbelievable news.

Recently, I read a reflection by a student here whose uncle piloted one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center. I was moved in many ways by his account. First of all, it brought the events of the day back to mind, in sharp relief, with all of its stunning horror. Second, reading his words-- 5 years after his uncle's death ---also served as a powerful reminder of how the effects of the mind-numbing acts of that day spread out endlessly. They didn't end with the crashes or the toppling of the Towers and the holes in the pentagon or the clean-up of ground zero. They continue to ripple outwards today-sometimes arcing dramatically. And third, I was struck by the fact that so often we have no idea of what others carry inside of them. First years and sophomores may have noticed a flurry of emails from the Chaplains' office over the last couple of weeks in an effort to reach out to first years struggling with homesickness. And in response to those emails, I've received volumes of emails from 1st years who are having a really hard time and from sophomores who wrote to tell me that they know well the pain of leaving home and adjusting to a whole new life because they went through it themselves. Homesick at HC? Less than perfect at HC? So often we have no idea of what others carry inside of them. We imagine that everyone else is as together and shining and managing on the inside as they appear on the outside.

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