In this deeply personal episode of Sufi Heart, Omid Safi shares some lessons for the heart by remembering the events of 9/11, and reflects on how we can carry these teachings forward.
This talk was originally recorded by: Hicksville Public Schools
Lessons for the Heart
Omid introduces this episode of Sufi Heart, which features a talk he gave on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 at the school of his former student, Amy Mastrocinque. He tells the story of how he and Amy, who took one of Omid’s classes when she was in college, changed each other’s lives by sharing some lessons for the heart born from the pain of 9/11.
“This is how we journey together. We find the teachings that save lives and transform our beings, and we do our best to live into them.” – Omid Safi
Remembering the Events of 9/11 (15:40)
Amy, a high school teacher, gives a talk at her school remembering the events of 9/11, and introducing Omid to her school. She recounts that day and how she realized her father, who worked in the World Trade Center, had probably died in the attack. Amy talks about dealing with that incredible loss and pain, and how the friendship she formed with Omid helped chip away at her hostile energy.
“There’s no roadmap to grief… no one can tell you how to feel.” – Amy Mastrocinque
Raghu Markus calls on James Gordon, MD, to help us all with transforming trauma on Mindrolling Ep. 336
A Commitment to Learn (34:25)
Omid begins by recounting where he was on the day of 9/11. He talks about the sacred space of the classroom as a place to come together to have honest and difficult conversations. Omid explores how we have to learn how to hold sacred the life of each individual and really make a commitment to learning with one another. We all have things to teach, we all have things to learn.
“What we are calling each other to do is – as we center our lives and center our pain, our suffering, our loved ones – to be a mature community, to be a mature nation, we also need to connect our pain to other people’s pain, including people on the other side of the world to whom we are not related nationally, ethnically, racially, linguistically, or religiously, but by the virtue of the fact that they too are human.” – Omid Safi
Photo by Kevin Le