A tall candle flickered on the podium, the word "hope" attached to the base.
It seemed an appropriate symbol for the day, Sept. 11, 2006, exactly five years after terrorists’ attacks on U.S. soil.
"Hope" was also the theme of the public presentation held that evening in Lehman Auditorium at Eastern Mennonite University that explored ways people respond to daily acts of violence.
Renowned trauma expert Kathe Weingarten spoke on this complex issue in offering a "compassionate response to violence in a post-September 11 world."
Dr. Kathe Weingarten offers "a compassionate response to violence" in a Sept. 11 address at EMU. Photo by Jim Bishop
Dr. Weingarten, a clinical psychologist and Harvard Medical School faculty member, recalled the "beautiful morning of September 11, 2001" as she began the day at her home in Massachusetts.
Two hours later, she watched the unfolding drama on television as the flaming twin towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan collapsed – "an unthinkable event."
"These years later, the challenge remains to take the kind of effective actions that make the world a safer place for everyone," she said. "That includes addressing the root causes of terrorism and reducing the level of fear that inhibits us from compassionate action."
Weingarten discussed the phenomenon of what she calls "common shock" that occurs when persons witness violence or are personally violated – in such everyday situations as road rage, altercations in public places, parents screaming at their children.
"Responding to violent acts with compassion is not an easy road," she said. "Good-hearted people often feel disempowered. They turn off the television, become numb, feel saturated or even act prematurely without having the facts."
Biggest Obstacle, Fear
The biggest obstacle in moving from passive witness to effective action is fear, the speaker said, a tenacious emotion that isn’t healthy on the individual or corporate level." She cited parents who sheltered their children from the reality of 9-11 or government leaders who use fear to advance a particular agenda or to wield power over the disenfranchised.
"A compassionate act often begins slowly and ripples out in unexpected ways," Weingarten said. As first steps, she advocated "using the gifts you already have, select an individual focus to keep from becoming overwhelmed, and participate in activities of remembrance and celebration along the way."
She noted that the emotions associated with pain and with empathy both originate in the same region of the human brain.
"We are wired to care, for that is the hope of this planet," Weingarten told the audience. "It is up to us to preserve our home. We wouldn’t even be here [in this setting] this evening if we didn’t care, so get busy for the sake of us all."
The speaker closed by affirming the EMU mission statement that includes a commitment to "do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God."
Weingarten continued the "hope in a world of despair" theme in a chapel talk Tuesday, Sept. 12 at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, interacted with EMU faculty at a luncheon meeting and led a workshop for student leaders on practical steps to enhance resilience and sustain hope.
Weingarten’s visit was supported by a Lilly Endowment grant and sponsored by EMU’s student life division and University Accord.