I was asked to deliver one of the opening prayers for Colorado's commemoration of September 11, 2001. Here is my text:
September 11, 2016
Rabbi Joseph R. Black – Temple Emanuel, Denver, CO.
Our God and God of all people:
God of the Rich and God of the Poor
God of the Progressive and God of the Conservative
God of the Immigrant and God of the Children of immigrants
God of the Muslim, the Christian, the Jew, the Hindu, the
Sikh – God of every faith, race and nation.
God of those who have no God.
God of those who have no God.
We have come together on this sacred occasion to remember,
to commemorate and to show strength as one community – united in both grief and
resilience – to raise our voices in prayer and humility and to state that we
will never allow those who would use
fear and violence as a weapon to divide us.
We need to come together, O God. These are troubling times.
Our unity gives us
strength,
Our strength is
reflected in our determination
And our Determination
brings us together - united as one great
State of Colorado;
One Nation under God – indivisible
One Human family created in Your image.
Today we remember those who perished in the fires of hatred
and those who died extinguishing
those fires - in selfless acts of
courage and commitment.
15 years ago – on September 11th 2001 – our
nation witnessed a horror and received a blow that changed us forever. Over 3,000 precious souls were wiped out in
an instant – victims of baseless hatred and evil. While most our wounds have
mended, the memory of those who perished and the implication of their deaths
remain as a scar that will always be a part of us.
Today we pray for continued healing – of body and soul.
Today we proclaim our strength.
Today we come to give thanks for the power and beauty of
community.
Bless this gathering.
Bless our leaders – and those who serve: soldiers, first responders, peacekeepers, fire fighters and police officers
Bless us all – as we remember and pray for a better world –
a world of peace.
And let us say, AMEN
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