Note: Information and a variety of
discussion resources about "United 93" are available at
http://www.u93.org
"United 93" is a film I never intended
to see. I didn't need a refresher about the events of Sept. 11, 2001. I
don't usually see films that are violent, upsetting and leave me with a
knot in my stomach. And I wonder how the families of the people who
died that day feel about "United 93."
Yet, I knew this film would most
certainly depict a variety of important religious themes. We are
familiar with the story. It pits people with different understandings
of faith and the world in violent conflict. So, when I got an
invitation to see an advance screening of "United 93," I decided to see
it. Reluctantly.
What I saw was a riveting story of all
of the horrible events of Sept. 11, with special attention to United
Flight 93. That flight left Newark in the morning and was bound for San
Francisco. We know it never made it to its original destination,
crashing upside down in a field near Shanksville, Pa. -- the only plane
commandeered by terrorists that did not make it to its intended
"target" -- the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. There are no
well-known stars in this movie. It was shot using mostly hand-held
cameras to give the illusion of being "right there," which was
effective. At times it seemed like I was watching a documentary of the
day's event, and other times it was a dramatic presentation. I watched
carefully and with a sense of dread as I waited for the moment at which
the hijackers would take control of the plane. The performances were
surprisingly good and realistic. I felt some of the terror the
passengers and crew of United 93 felt. I also felt the rage of the
passengers and crew as they fought unsuccessfully to take control of
the plane in the movie's final moments.
We all know some of the flight crew
members were murdered, and passengers were injured by the hijackers.
Fortunately, the producers told this part of the story while sparing us
a lot of the bloody details, though at times the film depicts violent
behavior.
This film is full of religious references. It opens with the hijackers
preparing to leave for the airport, praying, and reciting passages from
the Quran. In various places the hijackers made several references to
God; at one important point it showed several passengers reciting the
Lord's Prayer interspersed with scenes of the hijackers reciting
prayers of their own.
During the ride home I thought about
what I had seen. I still wonder why. Why do some fanatics interpret the
teachings of Islam and the Quran in a way that causes them to murder
people, hijack jet planes and fly them into buildings? Or seek to
destroy the United States, its government and its people? Has our
response to these acts been appropriate or should we respond
differently? The film brought all of these questions back to me again.
And I still don't know why.
I thought about the time when I traveled
to New York in December 2001 and saw up close the destroyed World Trade
Center site. There was still a lot of rubble and visible destruction at
the site. It was sobering to stand at that place and think about what
had happened. There was some salvage work going on that day, yet it
seemed so quiet, so peaceful.
I also remembered the day in 2003 when I
was part of an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America delegation that
met with various people in Israel and the West Bank. We visited a
high-level Islamic cleric in Ramallah, a supreme judge. He spoke no
English. But there was one memorable moment, and his anguished face
said it all. He reached out and held ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark
Hanson's hand, and through an interpreter told us all that Islam is not
about violence and murder. I could see he wanted very badly to say that
to us, and his words brought tears to the eyes of some of my companions
who had been affected directly by the events of Sept. 11. To this day,
I still remember that meeting, and I will never forget the face of our
host. Nor will I forget the image of this Muslim leader and Bishop
Hanson holding hands during that moment.
If there was one lesson I learned from
those experiences, it's this: We must separate violent fanatics from
reasonable, peaceful people. I have no doubt that most faithful Muslims
honor their neighbors, respect others and work for the greater good.
Very few would do harm to people whose beliefs are different than
theirs.
We must also never forget what happened
on Sept. 11, 2001. We must never forget the thousands of innocent
people who were killed or injured.
The film brought some other serious
concerns to mind. I want to know more about why this happened. I want
to know what the Quran says. I want to know why people do terrible
things to other people in the name of God. I want to know how
Christians should respond to Islam. I want to find ways to spend more
time in conversation rather than confrontation with people of faiths
different than mine.
And finally, I want to know how we all
can construct and live in a peaceful world, not one in which we live in
fear of each other. We owe it to the people who died on United Flight
93 and to all of those who died that day to find the answers.
