On Tuesday, September 11, our lives and the lives of millions of others were changed. As we heard the terrible news, we felt shock, then horror and sadness. We grieve with those who lost loved ones. Although we continue to feel bewildered, hurt, and angry, we have decided that we do not want to react to our pain by causing more pain. This letter represents our commitment to acting in love rather than in hatred, as best we know how.

• We commit ourselves to caring for those who are hurting most; to listen if they need to talk, to hold them if they need to cry. Even in the presence of great evil, we believe that the power of love is stronger than the power of hatred.

• We commit ourselves to not scapegoating people who have done nothing wrong. We will not allow our Muslim and Arab friends and neighbors to be accused, intimidated, and assaulted because of crimes they did not commit and do not support. Let us grieve together and stand by each other, for we are all made in the image of God.

• We commit ourselves to working for a lasting peace instead of lashing out in retaliation. We utterly condemn the attacks that killed so many innocent people on Tuesday. In the same way, we reject any response that will lead to the killing of innocent people in other countries. At this moment, our nation has the sympathy and goodwill of the world. Let us take this opportunity to work together with other nations to arrest and try the attackers, and to make sure that this kind of tragedy will never happen again. Only then will we have true justice.

On Tuesday, we as a nation lost our sense of invulnerability. We pray that this loss will make us more sensitive to the people in other countries who live daily with violence and the threat of violence. With them, we raise our voices and say, "In the name of the loving God we must stop this destruction and death." May God grant us the wisdom and courage and patience to choose creative, life-giving responses.