“Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth.” — Swami Vivekananda, World’s Parliament of Religions, September 11, 1893
Most people around the world remember what happened on September 11, 2001. But not many know about September 11, 1893.
On that day, a thirty-year-old Hindu monk named Swami Vivekananda spoke to thousands at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago. People from many faiths—Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Muslims, Zoroastrians, and others—gathered for one of the first major meetings between Eastern and Western religions.1
Vivekananda stepped up to the podium and began with five words: “Sisters and Brothers of America.” The crowd broke into applause.
That greeting held a deep meaning. Vivekananda was not there just to tolerate others. He saw them as family. He told the crowd that his Hindu tradition taught “both tolerance and universal acceptance.” He also warned what happens when religion loses that spirit. “Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism,” he said, had filled the Earth with violence and blood.
He spoke those words on September 11.
Thirteen years later, on September 11, 1906, about 3,000 Indians met in Johannesburg to protest a discriminatory registration law from the Transvaal government. The law would force Indians to register, give fingerprints, and carry ID documents or face punishment. Mohandas Gandhi was there.2
The people who gathered that day promised to resist. They would not follow an unjust law and would accept the consequences, but they refused to fight oppression with violence. Gandhi later saw that meeting as the start of satyagraha, holding firmly to truth, a way to resist injustice without losing the humanity of either the oppressed or the oppressor.
Another September 11.
Then came September 11, 2001.
Nineteen terrorists hijacked four planes and killed 2,977 people in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. They took the lives of people who boarded flights, went to work, served breakfast, answered phones, and started what they thought would be a normal Tuesday. Firefighters, police officers, and other first responders ran toward the collapsing buildings while thousands ran away.3 Tomorrow marks twenty-five years since then.
For those who lost loved ones, twenty-five years does not make the loss part of history. Some children grew up without parents, and some parents have spent a quarter century without their children. Survivors still feel the effects of that morning. Many first responders and recovery workers became sick and died years later because they rushed to help when they were needed most.
But remembering is not just about the past. Our memories shape us. What we remember, how we remember, and the stories we tell about what happened become part of who we are.
After September 11, 2001, grief and fear spread across the country. Some of that fear led to war, torture, and surveillance. Muslim Americans and people thought to be Muslim faced suspicion, harassment, and violence. The deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent people became linked to the deaths of many more innocent people far away.
This is why those other September 11s feel so haunting. One hundred eight years before the attacks, Vivekananda stood before people whose religions often viewed each other with suspicion and called them sisters and brothers. Ninety-five years before the attacks, people facing racial oppression chose to resist without hatred. Then, in 2001, religious fanaticism turned strangers into enemies and planes into weapons.
These three September 11s show three very different ways we might respond to difference, fear, and power.
We cannot choose the history we inherit, but we can choose what we carry forward from it. Twenty-five years later, fear still tempts us to see strangers as enemies. Political and religious leaders still find it easier to control people who are afraid. Violence still offers the tempting idea that if we defeat the right people, we will finally be safe.
Vivekananda and Gandhi offer us different visions forward. Neither taught people to be passive. Gandhi resisted injustice with great discipline. Vivekananda urged religious traditions to let go of claims of superiority. Both knew we can face what is wrong without letting hatred shape who we become.
Today, bells will ring and names will be read. Families will gather around photos of people they still miss. May we remember with them. And as the bells ring, maybe we can hear another voice from another September 11, speaking across 133 years:
“Sisters and Brothers of America.”
Those words were an invitation back then.
They are still an invitation now.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What has remembering September 11, 2001 formed in you over the past twenty-five years: grief, fear, compassion, anger, courage, suspicion, or something else?
Where are you being asked to resist something that is wrong without allowing hatred of another person to take root in you?
What would change if you genuinely understood people across religious, political, racial, or national differences as sisters and brothers?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer For Remembering
Holy One, Today we remember the lives taken, the courage offered, the families forever changed. Hold those whose grief still carries their names. And hold us, lest memory become a weapon. Where fear breeds suspicion, teach us compassion. Where grief hardens into hatred, keep us tender. Give us courage that does not require an enemy, and strength that refuses to become what it opposes. May the dead be remembered. May the living choose peace. And may our remembering make fewer graves. Amen.
Spiritual Practice: Remember Someone You Never Knew
Today, almost 3,000 names will be spoken. Pick one name.
You can look up the names at the 9/11 Memorial. Avoid picking someone well-known. Just let a name stand out to you.
Take a few minutes to learn about this person. Find out their age, where they lived, what job they had, who they cared about, and what others remember about them. Let the number 2,977 turn into a single person for you.
Now, think more broadly. Pick someone whose life changed after September 11. This could be a Muslim American who faced hatred, a soldier sent to Afghanistan or Iraq, an Afghan or Iraqi civilian, a first responder who became sick later, or a refugee forced to leave home because of war. You do not need to make their experiences equivalent. They aren’t.
Just let both lives stay in your thoughts, without feeling like one person’s pain takes away from the other’s.
Take a moment to sit quietly and think about them. This is a small way to resist seeing others as enemies.
Vivekananda saw sisters and brothers in a room full of different faiths. Gandhi learned that you can stand up for what is right without hating others. Both knew something we are still learning: seeing another person’s humanity does not make us less committed to truth or justice. It makes our commitment even stronger.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
My team and I launched a new experiment we are calling “The Commons.” It’s an online space centered around communities of practice: groups of people who share a common concern, set of problems, or passion for a topic, and deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis. Join the community here.
September 14, 7-8:30pm ET ONLINE EVENT - I’m delighted to share that Dr. Margaret Wheatley is releasing a newly updated edition of her beloved book Perseverance: A Companion for the Journey this October. Written for those committed to serving the world with compassion in difficult times, the book offers daily wisdom and practical guidance for navigating grief, anger, exhaustion, and uncertainty while remaining rooted in love, courage, and presence. Meg and I will be in conversation to explore what perseverance looks like in this moment of history and how we can sustain ourselves for the long work ahead. I hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a deeply meaningful conversation. REGISTER HERE.
September 17, 2026, 7-8:45pm ET - I will be joining Jackie Sussman for an online session on practicing eidetics as a part of our “Reclaiming the Power of Imagination” monthly series. Eidetic Imagery is a powerful tool for pastors, denominational leaders, coaches, and spiritual directors working with others, and for individuals seeking deeper integration and healing in their own lives. Jackie is a psychotherapist, author, and leading expert in Eidetic Image Psychology, and has spent over forty years helping leaders and individuals unlock creativity, uncover hidden strengths, and move through limiting patterns. During this session, she will lead a live Eidetic process shaped by mythic imagery, offering a direct experience of the work. REGISTER HERE.
October 6, 2026 - 7-8:30pm ET, ONLINE EVENT - Matthew Fox and I are teaming up again to launch a series called Journeying with the Mystics. The mystics have always emerged in times of uncertainty. They appear when old certainties are crumbling, when institutions no longer provide easy answers, and when people find themselves longing for a deeper experience of the Sacred. Join us for an 18-session exploration of the teachings of St. John of the Cross, Thomas Merton, Hildegard of Bingen, Kabir and Rumi, Meister Eckhart and more. This is more than a lecture series. It is an invitation into a living spiritual journey. REGISTER for the first session HERE!
October 18-21, 2026 - PREACH! 2026 Conference- I’ll be co-hosting PREACH in Minneapolis with Church Anew, a new gathering for preachers, storytellers, worship leaders, and spiritual communicators navigating what it means to speak with clarity, compassion, and courage in a changing world. If you’ve sensed that the preaching moment has changed and are longing for thoughtful community and renewed imagination for this work, I hope you’ll join us.
November 10, 7-8:30pm ET - I’ll be joined by theologian, writer, and professor Dr. Debra Rienstra for a special ONLINE conversation on Refugia Faith. In ecology, refugia are small places where life survives amid disruption, pockets of resilience from which life can eventually regenerate and spread. Debra invites us to consider what this might mean spiritually in an age of climate instability, political turmoil, institutional decline, and profound uncertainty. What if our congregations, communities, relationships, and even our own lives could become refugia, places where courage, compassion, beauty, wisdom, and possibility are protected and cultivated for whatever comes next? I hope you’ll join us for this timely and deeply hopeful conversation. REGISTRATION COMING SOON!
Fun Things My Friends Are Up To…
I get to work with such amazing, creative people. This section is my way of celebrating them—no paid promotions, just joy in what they’re creating.
Become more comfortable talking to others about creation care and more confident acting on solutions. Join Blessed Tomorrow + Faith Training on 9/26. Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/fBrgjj76QemIfWeSP2bJRQ
My dear friend, Rev. Shawna Bowman has just launched a new podcast with musician Jennifer Knapp called “My Wise Friend Podcast.” They talk about it this way: “You might know Jennifer from her years as a touring musician and songwriter, weaving stories and songs together across the country. You might know Shawna from their work as an artist, speaker, and community leader exploring the intersection of spirituality, justice, and creativity. While our daily work looks different, we share a deep love for real talk, deep questions, and finding wisdom in unexpected places.” I am so excited about this! I hope you will check it out and support them. https://www.patreon.com/cw/mywisefriendpodcast
I’m delighted to celebrate the upcoming release of Wisdom Church: Abundant Life for Aging Congregations by my colleague, Rev. Dr. Anna Hall. Rather than seeing aging congregations as communities in decline, Anna invites us to recognize them as communities rich with wisdom, purpose, and possibility. Her book offers a hopeful vision for moving beyond anxiety about the future and embracing the unique gifts of older adults as beloved children of God. If your congregation is navigating these questions, this is a resource well worth reading. You can preorder the Kindle edition now, with delivery on August 17: https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Church-Abundant-Aging-Congregations-ebook/dp/B0HBXGYTWC
Starting again on September 7 for every Monday, 12pm ET - ONLINE WRITING GROUP - My dear friend, Meryl Marshall-Daniels, is leading a writing group open to all. This is a simple and spacious writing circle for people who want time to listen inwardly and put words on the page without overthinking, performing, or polishing. Meryl offers a prompt designed to invite reflection, imagination, and attunement to what is already alive within you. The practice honors writing as a way of listening, of letting images, memories, questions, and insights surface in their own time. Learn more here.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
https://parliamentofreligions.org/1893-chicago/swami-vivekananda-on-the-world-stage-of-the-parliament-of-the-worlds-religions/
https://www.gandhiheritageportal.org/es/eventcontentdetail/OA%3D%3D/NzQxOQ%3D%3D
https://www.911memorial.org/visit/museum/exhibitions/in-memoriam