Today is the last of our special four-part series featuring Neighborhood Writing Alliance writers’ This I Believe essays. If you haven’t already, we invite you to listen to David Nekimken’s “I Believe We Live Amidst Peace,” Erin Moore’s “A Truly Advanced Society,” and Sharon F. Warner’s “‘Nigger’ Will Never Be a Term of Endearment.” Each post features the writer reading his or her own work, with text accompaniment.
NWA writer Helena Marie Carnes-Jeffries, of NWA’s Bezazian Branch Library writing workshop, shares her belief that peace is possible.
Listen to Helena read her essay here.
I BELIEVE THAT PEACE IS POSSIBLE
Helena Marie Carnes-Jeffries
On Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, I turned on the television to check the weather. I had just woken up. On every station I saw smoke billowing up from two towers. A couple of planes had just crashed into the World Trade Center. I reached for the phone to call my mother but could not get through. Like something out of a freakish nightmare, I watched the horror unfold on my TV screen.
A few days later, my brother invited me to peace vigil at a mosque on the northwest side of Chicago. Muslims had been suffering a great deal of backlash after the 9/11 ordeal. There we were, standing outside, praying together. I whipped out my Baha’i prayer book and was about to say a prayer for unity. The main speaker was just saying, “Here with us today we have Christians, Jews, and Muslims. A Muslim woman standing next to me noticed the Baha’i Greatest Name written in calligraphy on my prayer book and began calling out, “She’s a Baha’i! We have a Baha’i here, too!” And so there we were, standing in unity, praying together, people from four different major religions.
I believe that peace is possible. Although the world seems like it’s falling apart around us, my faith tells me that this is just the beginning, that the human race is in its adolescence and coming of age.
I am mortified by what took place on September 11th, 2001. Even today I still see the face in the newspaper clipping of a little boy who was on one the planes. He was returning from a class trip. I don’t think he expected to die a painful, fiery death. Who does? Oh, that hate could be so blind!
The 9/11 tragedy made me want to work even harder in my life to spread peace. To remember to tell the people I love how I much I care for them, and show it. To reach out to my fellow man, and know, truly know, that we are all equal in the sight of God. Hatred of other races, cultures, and faiths spawns a darkness so deep that it makes a person capable of taking the life of an innocent child.
Every day I must renew my commitment to peace—in my angry moments, in my sad, self-centered moments, even in the moments when I want to be left alone. It’s keeping my mouth shut when I want to tell someone off. It’s reminding myself to be a better woman when someone insults or hurts me.
I am not saying that it is easy. It’s a struggle for me every day. To see the light of God in everyone I meet is not an easy task, but when I see the violence on the news I realize once again that hate begets hate. I want to be the cause of love today, not hate. I believe that peace is possible.
We invite you to share your own thoughts about any of the This I Believe essays in our comments section. And, we encourage you to buy tickets for WBEZ’s December 8 “This I Believe: An Evening with Bob Edwards”, featuring NPR host Bob Edwards; Dan Gediman, Executive Director of This I Believe; audio excerpts from Edward R. Murrow’s original 1950s This I Believe series, and live readings by local essayists!
NWA Writer Helena Marie Carnes-Jeffries
Hi, Im an educator who speaks on world peace and would like to offer my services to any who need. Im glad to have found your site, its cool.
right from the heart. so true and so real.
brappppp
Awesome essay!!!! Great job!!!
Helena, I share your sentiments and desire for peace. Peace among families, neighbors, brethren, communities, etc., would be utopia.
Man (used to denote man and woman) has the potential to do good or bad. Unfortunately, too many have the proclivity to cause discord–do bad–based on their personal/professional agendas. The 9/11 attacks were horrendous and reminiscent of other acts that prompted wars and took so many lives. Lives lost on both sides. If consideration for humanity and peace was at the top of the list, self-serving, egotistical, greedy, and nefarious undertakings would not have occurred. But this is the real world. And as long as man has the right to choose his actions, we just never know what’s next. All we can do is live peacebly among all persons and hope they let us live in peace. A well-written and touching article !!
Yes, all human beings are equally intelligent. Wishing that each individual will realize that he does not belong to the meaningless masses to be abused, exploited, disappointed. The Internet will become a good instrument for the universally new education.