About three hundred gathered at the front steps of City Hall last night to remember the victims of June 12’s mass shooting. While the focus was on the 49 victims of this tragedy, the murder of singer Christina Grimmie just a day before the shooting and the most recent death of the two year old at Walt Disney World were not lost in the communal grief and shock. Orlando has experienced in one short week’s time what every city’s collective conscience could only describe as an ongoing nightmare.

Clergy from throughout the city were well represented, all wearing stoles or robes from their various traditions. Church chair Lynne Orsted and I were privileged to represent Salem and joined the chorus of prayers and statements of recommitment to come together in doing the hard work of washing out hate because “love wins” and must win if we are to survive as a global people.  It can be hard to identify just what one feels – anger, trauma, intense sadness and grief. I too often am a mix of emotions and become so flooded with feelings that I end up more confused and frustrated than anything else.

I do know that I grieve most for my family and friends from the LGBTQ community who must yet again feel a scratching at the raw wounds of exclusion. Our gathering did not go without at least one vehicle screeching by with windows down yelling out, “—–homos—-!” Hatred and ignorance are strong and make for such a potent and literally deadly brew. As impotent as our grieving gatherings can sometimes feel following such tragedies, it was good to come together – to act – and be reminded that hate cannot win and has never won because of the one who came, comes and will come in the name of love. Let’s recommit ourselves, here at Salem, to that one – “Jesus”, and to that love which he gives and make sure that hate, ignorance, misunderstanding, envy or greed never divide, exclude, alienate or shame anyone who intersects with this community.

Peace to their memory,  Mark