Earlier this week I hosted a book club discussion of   The Day the World Came to Town, 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland  by Jim Defede., an inspiring true story that spotlights  kindness in a world fraught with division, terrorism and hate.  A few weeks ago I saw Come From Away, the Broadway musical based on the same theme.  Both the book and the play told of the overwhelming generosity and hospitality shown by the the ten thousand  residents of Gander and surrounding communities when they welcomed 6,700 people from nearly 100 countries after terrorist attacks in  New York City and Washington, D.C., forced US-bound planes to land there.

Their attitude and actions toward the unexpected guests drew accolades  from around the world, but the “Newfies” didn’t see it as amazing at all.  They said they don’t know any other way to live.  “Helping others is the simplest thing in life,” said Mayor Claude Elliott. “You’re not supposed to look at people’s color, their religion, their sexual orientation—you look at them as people.”

The airport in Gander marks the closest point midway between Europe and the US and is a preferred landing site for medical and technical emergencies.  They usually handle a handful of flights over the course of a day; but on September 11^th, thirty-eight planes came “fast and furious.”  After first figuring out how to park all the planes, officials spent the next 24 hours unloading luggage and people.

Passengers understandably faced intense scrutiny as they passed through customs, but everyone was a guest too. No one knew how long they would be affected by the disaster or how long they would be staying; they just knew they were here now and needed help.

Packed with passengers the planes sat for hours at the airport as the town bustled with activity. Volunteers readied makeshift shelters: every school, gym, community center, church and camp–any place that could accommodate a planeload of people.  The town’s 500 hotel rooms were reserved for pilots and flight crews.

Beyond the basics of food and water, some passengers on board needed medicine.  Many had left prescriptions in checked inaccessible luggage.  Pharmacists in town worked around the clock, calling dozens of countries to fill prescriptions. There were smokers on board, unable to get a fix for hours.  The townies provided every bit of nicotine gum they could find.

School bus drivers in the middle of a nasty strike laid down their picket signs to transport passengers to their accommodations. For security reasons, checked luggage could not be removed from the plane.   Donations of toiletries, clothes, toys, towels, toothbrushes, pillows, blankets and bedding piled up.  The local Walmart ran out of nearly everything–underwear was a particularly hot commodity.  There was no charge for anything–“just take whatever you need.”

Stuck on planes, some for more than thirty hours, in the age before smartphones and social media, most passengers had no idea of what had caused their flights to be diverted.  TV sets were set up for them to see for themselves, and telephones were provided for them to communicate with their loved ones.  Even the pets in the cargo hold were fed and cared for.

AND…Gander’s residents began cooking—a lot! Grocery store shelves were stripped bare.  The area hockey rink was transformed into the world’s largest refrigerator.  It was casserole city!

The outpouring of kindness in the town multiplied over the next five days.  Gander residents took passengers sightseeing, moose hunting, berry picking and barbequing.  They entertained with music, offered a ride to anyone walking down the street, and brought strangers into their homes for showers or as overnight guests.

The “come from aways,” as Newfoundlanders call anyone not from the island, were from all over the world—Isreal, Austria, Spain, Poland, France, the Philippines, Iran, Italy, England, Germany, Thailand, Belgium, Ukraine, Hungary, Uganda, Senegal, Russia, United Arab Emirates and just about every state in the USA, but despite the intense situation, no one in Gander batted an eye. Prejudice against anyone is a foreign concept to them.

Praised as a shining beacon of kindness, residents of Gander say that what happened then and there isn’t unique; that no matter where you go people are good; that anyone, anywhere would be kind to strangers and lend a hand in a crises. I’d like to believe they are right, so I pray:.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.  Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.  With God as our Father, we are family; let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.  Let peace begin with me. Let this be the moment now.  With every step I take let this be my solemn vow:    To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.  Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.     and…      Lord, make me a channel of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.  O Master, grant that I may never seek so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood, as to understand, to be loved, as to love with all my heart and soul; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen 

I am only one, but still I am one.      

I cannot do everything,

but still I can do something.  

Helen Keller