What Can We Do?

I woke up this morning, like many of you, to another Monday morning, but was faced with a weekend of violence and death, Edmonton, Las Vegas and Marseilles.

We are faced with so much hate and violence in the world that it can be overwhelming and so I would like to pass along some words from John C. Dorhauer, the General Minister and President, of The United Church of Christ in the United States, which echoes what I am sure a lot of us are feeling at this moment; “I am fast losing the capacity to mourn all that we must mourn. Charlottesville becomes Houston becomes Florida becomes Puerto Rico becomes Las Vegas. Every lost life is a name, a history, a hope, a story – an unfulfilled future. Every lost life leaves behind loved ones who mourn and grieve and piece together a future of their own torn asunder by matters we cannot comprehend. I can’t find words to capture this pain, this collective grief and anger. I cannot reach deep enough into my soul to express fully the pain, the anger, the rage, the confusion, the anxiety, the emptiness. When will it end? And what must I do, must I do, must I do to respond with meaning, with purpose, with intent so that whatever hope we talk about on the other side of this is not vapid and vain? I feel utterly powerless. God help us all. Inspire imagination. Inspire hope. Inspire healing. Inspire resistance. Inspire something new and something bold and something grand. This cannot be our ongoing narrative. We have to want something better than this. Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.”

Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me. In the face of such hate and violence we can all renew our commitment to love. Love of family, love of friends, love of neighbour, love of all. I truly believe that it is only through love that we can overcome the darkness that seems to have taken such a strong hold of our collective hearts and minds. So I ask you each to think about love today. To grieve those who have been affected by all of these events and to hold them all in your heart, hold them gently in love, and to offer prayers of love and support.

Patrick