Millions of Americans flocked to houses of worship in the days following the 9/11 attacks, looking for comfort and an explanation of how God could allow such a thing to happen.Clergy were challenged to craft spiritual responses that would help those in the pews — religious and nonreligious — deal with the grief and anger that gripped the nation for months after four jetliners slammed into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. The resounding message was that God is greater than anything and that he has the power to comfort and heal.A decade later, some of those same clerics are searching for the appropriate words to say to worshippers as the nation marks the 10th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. This time, many hope to challenge their listeners to reflect on the past 10 years and determine where they need to go from here.The struggle that many clerics are facing is to find a message that will resonate with an assembly that includes people who stand at different places on the journey from the tragedy — some who have moved beyond the raw emotions; some who lost loved ones on 9/11; Muslims who have felt the backlash of anger and hatred; and soldiers who are still fighting wars set in motion by the terrorist acts.Using 9/11 as a backdrop, the Rev. Paul Sartarelli, senior pastor at The Chapel, which has campuses in Akron, Green and Wadsworth, is presenting a three-week series called Reflections From Ground Zero. His messages will focus on hope in the midst of grief and mortality, what real justice looks like and hope beyond mortality.“This isn’t America versus the Middle East nor Christianity versus Islam. We need to transcend a nationalistic message — it’s not all about America,” Sartarelli said. “Simply because a few extremists do something to make it look like a political or military battle doesn’t make it so. It’s a spiritual battle — the age-old struggle between good and evil. But the line between nationalism and spirituality got blurred and that’s a dangerous line.”U.S, flag flies highIn the aftermath of the attacks, there was a wave of renewed attention to the U.S. flag, even in houses of worship. Leaders in some institutions that didn’t have a flag were urged to get one. In some congregations where the flag already stood, discussions were sparked about its proper placement.Many of the people who showed up at worship centers 10 years ago wore red, white and blue — American flag shirts, ties, jackets and scarves were common. Flags even lined the walkways to many religious institutions.Inside, the songs took on a patriotic tone as those gathered sang The Star-Spangled Banner, My Country ’Tis of Thee, America the Beautiful and God Bless America. And some of the messages from the pulpit encouraged people to hold fast to their patriotism and faith.Sartarelli said it was natural to respond that way 10 years ago, when people were still reeling in shock. Now, he and others see a need to shift from a philosophical tone that rang of God’s sovereignty to an approach that is more reflective, highlighting how survivors are dealing with the effects of what happened and how God can be seen in the people who have worked to promote unity and understanding and to make life better for others.The Rev. Jeffrey Dennis will stress the need for people to do what the Bible tells them to do. Dennis is pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church and executive director at the Minority Behavioral Health Group, a group of mental health professionals dedicated to providing psychological services and testing for the African-American community and other minorities.A wake-up call for America“9/11 was a wake-up call to those who were sleeping. We need to understand and put into practice the things that we find in the gospel message,” Dennis said. “In the Bible, Paul talks to Timothy about praying for those in leadership. We need to wake up to the importance of praying for our nation’s leaders who make decisions that impact so many lives. We need to wake up to the fact that we have enemies, both outside and within — that should motivate us to become more aware of what is happening globally.“And we need to wake up to the fact that Sept. 11 will never end for some people. There has to be a commitment to trust and rely on God and to come alongside and walk with those who are in pain.”Dennis said to help those who are still grieving, we must understand that the process can take years. No matter how long it takes, he said, Christians must be willing to give ongoing support. While many local clerics agree that the need to help people move from the question of “Where was God?” on that dreadful day, they are also mindful that other events generate uncertainty in people’s lives. Those include other terrorist threats, the weak economy, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, personal factors (like marriage and health issues) and violence that has touched the global, national and local communities.The Rev. Jeff Bogue, senior pastor at Grace (Brethren) Church, which has campuses in Norton and Bath Township, knows many people in his community are still searching for answers to why a gunman went on a rampage last month in nearby Copley Township, injuring one person and killing seven, five of whom Bogue eulogized.“We still need to talk about trusting God, how God is in control and how God is the source of hope. Someone once said that life is a series of storms occasionally interrupted by moments of peace. That’s why we need to latch onto God. The anchor that holds us in life is faith,” Bogue said. “When we are faced with the unexpected, there are real honest questions that we should ask God but we must also understand that our answers are in the fact that God does love us, that he is in control and that his character is true. Our challenge, then, is to decide whether we’re going to live in the questions or in the answers.”Because “living in the answers” requires people to choose good over evil and God over fear, the Rev. Diana Swoope, senior pastor at Arlington Church of God in Akron, will challenge her assembly to stand together for the common good. She said her message of Look In, Look Out and Look Up 10 years ago is still relevant today.“Whether God is known to us through Jesus Christ or as Allah, there is definitely a common human good. We cannot allow fear to drive our actions. Our actions must be driven out of faith and love,” Swoope said. “We simply cannot allow evil to rule us. We must continue to ‘look in’ to make sure we are representing that which is good. We must continue to ‘look out’ to see the good in others and we must continue to ‘look up’ for help from God.”At St. Vincent Roman Catholic Church in Akron, the Rev. Joseph Kraker will focus on forgiveness. He hopes to motivate his audience to reflect on what the appropriate response is 10 years after the attacks.“Sept. 11 was a wake-up call that all is not well in the world. I would like each individual to look inward and determine whether they are at a place of forgiveness. If they’re not, I want them to explore how they can get there or if they even want to forgive,” Kraker said. “Whatever they decide, I want them to think about it in light of the Gospel message. We need to figure out if we are ready to forgive and, more importantly, if we are ready to move on.”Moving on is the theme of an interfaith prayer service at 6 tonight at Temple Israel on Merriman Road in Akron. The service is organized by representatives of several West Akron churches (including Kraker), Temple Israel and the Islamic Community Center in Cuyahoga Falls. It will include participation from local police, fire, military and Red Cross.Rabbi Robert Feinberg, spiritual leader at Temple Israel, said that while it is important to remember what happened 10 years ago, it is crucial to commit to ensuring that it never happens again.“Sept. 11 was kind of a watershed — it made us feel more vulnerable. To add to that distress, the past decade has been one of great uncertainty, with things like Irene, Katrina, the tsunami, the economy,” Feinberg said. “But amid all that uncertainty and feeling vulnerable, people came together in service to each other and never before have we seen such a level of interfaith cooperation. We need to keep that spirit alive and move forward with it.”Bridges of understandingImam Nader Taha, spiritual leader at the Islamic Community Center, agrees. He is encouraging people in his community to continue building interfaith bridges of understanding. On Friday, he urged those gathered at the weekly prayer service to follow the Prophet Muhammad’s example of peace and to engage in self-reflection.“We must continuously work for positive change. Change is a law of the universe that God created and it starts with our own self-evaluation to make sure we are doing what we can to make things better in the world,” Taha said. “We must go beyond the negative and hold onto the positive changes that have happened since Sept. 11. While we have had to counter Islamophobia, we must look at how much closer we have become to our neighbors and other faith groups in the last 10 years.” Taha said he is thankful to leaders in the Jewish and Christian communities who reached out to the Islamic community in the days following the tragedy.One of those leaders was Sartarelli, who was then senior pastor at Riverwood Chapel in Kent. Those relationships influenced Sartarelli’s current series, particularly the second installment.“Justice belongs to the Lord. We cannot allow our emotions to get so high that hatred and anger dictate our actions,” Sartarelli said. “All people of goodwill need to be at peace with each other and to stand together to bring hope to the world.”Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.