Dear Friends, This past week has been one of the most difficult times our nation and communities have had to face. We are shocked, angered, and confused. Many in the Pagan community are working through the deep theological implications that naturally go along with disasters of this nature. Were these events pre-ordained or random? If they were pre-ordained, what type of divinity would allow for something so tragic? We have also been at discussion on how to effectively heal our communities from this event. Some people are very focused on prayer and ritual, while others are more actively working in the larger society. In either case, it is a very good thing to see that this tragedy has not left us immobilized. The events of this past week have, however, left many members of our community in shock. I am deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of many of my friends, family and community who have been living and reliving, through intense media coverage, the horrific events that have transpired. Psychologists are now writing on how long children of different ages can be exposed to this material without being too deeply affected. This naturally leads me to wonder how long adults can do the same. I have watched maybe an hour of television since the tragedy, but I have seen the collapse of the twin towers and its implication of the deaths of thousands maybe three dozen times. I am also becoming concerned for the well being of Muslims and other ethnic American minorities. The bombing of Pearl Harbor galvanized our nation into action. But let us not forget that is also caused an intense racial hatred for Japanese Americans and led to their detainment in American concentration camps. I hope that in the wake of this terrorism we are able to see past ethnic and religious barriers, and objectively seek out the people who have perpetuated this horror. This is not a time for racist nationalism; it is a time for humanism. It is a time to work collectively with people from all ethnic and religious backgrounds to fight terrorism. So how can we, as the Pagan community, effectively deal with such tragedy? In Dreaming the Dark, Starhawk writes that the ethics of magic call us to pick up the garbage we find in our path. It is easy to become overwhelmed, to scapegoat a false enemy or to withdraw completely from the situation. But that is not our challenge. Our challenge is to pick up what we find in our path, help our community and ourselves, and to try to objectively find the real perpetrators of this atrocity. Only then can justice roll down like the waters. Yours in Faith, Lucas Hergert * Lucas Hergert was ordained in both the Fellowship of Isis and in another Pagan tradition. He is currently a student of religion and ethics at Miami University. Contact us with questions.