Faiths Act

I was very blessed not to have been directly affected by the events that took place on September 11th, 2001, and it was hard for me to understand what was really happening from across the country. When I reflect on the ten years that have gone by since that date, however, I’ve come to realise that my experience of that day was primarily due to my location, the place I lived in at the time.

Now that I am in DC, I understand more of what it means to those who were affected by those awful events. This past Sunday, the DC fellows were able to join people from all different faiths on the 9/11 Unity Walk to remember events that directly affected this community. We experienced great love and openness from people of many different faith traditions, and I was again reminded of my place both in the work of the Tony Blair Faiths Act fellowship and in the world.

Whether or not you were near the events on September 11th, 2001 physically, once you hear the stories of individuals who were affected it makes the memory of that event real.

Similar to my experience of 9/11, malaria is another issue where place is gravely important. While I was blessed to be born in an area free of malaria, this disease is a defining feature in the lives of half the world’s population. For those of us who do not have to live with the daily threat of malaria, it is important to remember the blessing of our circumstances, and think about the individuals for whom malaria is a reality. Just as the Unity Walk brought people together to proclaim compassion over hatred, we must come together and take action to show our love to those affected by malaria. To hear the stories of those affected by malaria and learn how you can be part of the movement to save lives, follow Faiths Acts on Twitter and Facebook.

Carolyn Worthge, Faiths Act Fellow