Another Look at 9/11
for ACU Today

GYUMRI, ARMENIA, November 30, 2001 - A couple of days after September 11, I went to visit a wise Armenian friend with hopes of regaining my sanity. For 48 hours I had been bunkered down in my apartment trying to make sense of what was happening. I thought that talking to an outsider would offer some kind of peace.

"This is a terrible tragedy," my friend told me. "I feel your pain. But it is also time for America to feel some of the world's pain."
Our initial response when we hear such a statement is to recoil. We do not want to liken American foreign policy excesses to terrorist attacks. And to suggest that September 11 was justified seems almost sick. So we blame anti-American propaganda or extremist religion or lack of education.

Our politicians do the same thing, only adding a rhetorical flourish. President Bush spoke on September 12 in Armageddon-like terms. The United States, he said, is engaged in "a monumental struggle of good versus evil." A few days later, he declared that the war is, more precisely, between "freedom and fear."

But upon closer inspection, we find that the world is not painted in black and white. In fact, on this side of the planet it more often resembles a beige.

Now, Armenia is not Afghanistan, I grant you. Nor is it Muslim. But its history and culture are intertwined with those of its Middle Eastern neighbors. By listening carefully to Armenians, we can draw conclusions about other peoples of this region. We can develop a nuanced and more accurate understanding of why they think and act the way they do.

Upon our arrival here, Jen and I were immediately struck by the sheer age of this place. A large banner in the airport proclaimed 1700 years of Christianity in Armenia. Mount Ararat, where Noah landed in time immemorial, loomed on the horizon as if to reinforce the point.

Some Americans are asking whether we can win the war of ideas or, as some of our leaders like to say, the battle for the "hearts and minds" of distant people. The answer, I think, lies buried under a thousand years of history.

When the president said to Congress that we are engaged in "civilization's fight" he was really speaking of civilization in the West. Progress, pluralism, tolerance, freedom-these values are not exactly dear to every civilized nation.

Such is the case in Armenia, where terms like tradition, nationalism, and conformity hold a great deal more currency. It is perhaps understandable why Armenians-and others in the cradle of civilization-are not rushing to embrace an infant nation as their leader. Especially when, as it seems from this vantage point, that nation is mainly concerned with defending its own ideals.

As to the reason young men are turning to terrorism? Imagine a world in which there are no opportunities. Armenia is such a place. As I walk about my city, I see dozens of 20 to 25 year-old men. They are highly educated, they have been trained in the military (military service is compulsory for 18 year-old males) and they have absolutely nothing to do.

In Armenia, there is no thrust toward the future or hope for an honest living. This is a place where the past overshadows the future, where the dead are more highly esteemed than the living. In such a climate, it is easy to imagine why a young man would turn to a fanatical sect. If he cannot live in America-the dream of most young people here-perhaps he can help destroy it. He can bring his pain to a land that seemingly has none.

On the day before Tuesday we Americans were living in a world of utmost security. Now that is lost. But we have an opportunity to empathize with people who don't know the meaning of the word.

On the day before Tuesday we Americans were living in a world of prosperous ease. Now that is largely lost. But we have a responsibility to see that our wealth is shared with people who cannot afford even bread.

On the day before Tuesday we Americans were living in a world of ignorant bliss. That is lost forever. But we now have a mandate to become vigilant and educated citizens of the world community.

Every graduate of ACU should decide for himself how to carry out the university mission. But let us keep in mind what Christian service means. It suggests that we are to be ambassadors of peace and hope and mercy in the world. And most of all, it seems to me, compassion. That's the one where we Americans begin to feel the world's pain.