A mixture of emotions was displayed at a church service filled with remembrance and hope Wednesday afternoon.
The sanctuary of The People’s Church of East Lansing, 200 W. Grand River Ave., was filled with people from different walks of life with various faiths. But on the breezy afternoon, everyone in the church shared the need to connect with the events of one year ago.
“I felt (the service) was really uplifting,” computer science sophomore Navid Motlagh said. “It really showed unity. We united together and I feel we respect each other more after what happened.”
Others felt the service allowed people to openly express their faith.
“It was a chance for us to turn to God together,” said the Rev. David Speicher of St. Thomas Aquinas, 955 Alton Road. Speicher delivered the responsive call to worship in Wednesday’s ceremony. “It was also a great turnout, particularly since there were a number of services around the city today.”
In Speicher’s call to worship, he revised a scripture in the Bible to include cities most directly affected on Sept. 11.
Rev. Kelly Sprinkle of The People’s Church summed up how most felt in his words of welcome.
“It is on this day that we move away from the darkness and into the light,” he said. “It is on this day that we move on, and hope that the darkness doesn’t affect our future.”
During the portion of the service titled “A Cacophony of Voices,” MSU students and religious advisers, along with Al Weilbaecher of St. John’s Student Parish and the Rev. Steve Robertson of Eastminster Presbyterian Church read statements of World Trade Center victims, witnesses and others as a way to reflect on the anniversary.
Waves of emotion swept through the crowd as they wiped tears during the service.
Unity seemed to be the theme of the proceedings, with responses coming from the Quran, Jewish scriptures and the Christian Bible.
Lynn Jondahl, executive director of the Michigan Prospect for Renewed Citizenship, said it helped Americans become more aware that they’re apart of a global spectrum. In correlation with the theme of the service, Jondahl challenged people to unite.
“The challenge is placed upon us,” he said. “We want and need to know each other better and we as a people will be better for it.”
