Pastoral Response to the Texas School Shooting

 

Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15 NRSV)

 

Beloved in Christ:

 

Two weeks ago, we grieved those who were shot and killed at a grocery store in a predominantly black neighborhood Buffalo, New York—people who were targeted because of the color of their skin.

 

Last Sunday, we grieved for Taiwanese Christians who were gunned down while at church.

 

And now, we grieve another school shooting; the second-worst one in our nation’s history in terms of fatalities: nineteen children, two teachers, and the shooter’s grandmother.

 

I wish I had the words to explain why this happened and what must be done to end the scourge of violence in our country.

 

All I know is that our answer to this atrocity, as people of faith, must transcend mere thoughts and prayers. If we are honest in our praying, we must be ready for God to compel us to do whatever it takes to comfort the afflicted, defend the vulnerable, and strive for a safer and more just world where all God’s children may thrive. This is our responsibility as people of God.

 

I don’t know what transpired in the shooter’s mind as he planned and carried out this massacre. He had no prior criminal history or known psychiatric illnesses. We do know that he was able to legally purchase the weapons which enabled him to carry out his crimes with deadly efficiency. The school resource officer on duty hardly stood a chance against such overwhelming firepower.

 

Furthermore, the Ulvade shooter (and the Buffalo supermarket shooter) provided a kind of play-by-play account of the atrocity on social media, as if anticipating the infamy that would come to him as a result of his crimes. The tragic irony is that our media ecosystem has rewarded him with the infamy he sought. We now know his name and much of his life story—but what about his victims’ names and their life stories?

 

Sadly, we live in a world that glorifies violence. Nothing seems to bring people together quite like the hatred of a common foe. As our society grows more divided, we find more and more people believing that violence is necessary for our country to survive.

 

I know that there is a diversity of viewpoints and convictions within our family of faith as to the root causes of this tragedy and what must be done in the future to prevent it from happening again. Nevertheless, nothing good will come out of taking sides against our partisan foes and blaming each other. The only way to heal from this tragedy and create a safer and more just world is by working together. We have much more in common than what would otherwise divide us.

 

At the core of all human sin is the failure to love the neighbor as the self. This is a failure to which all of us are guilty. Together, we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves—and that it is only by the broken body and spilled blood of Jesus that we are freed from the domination of sin and raised to new life.

 

We share a duty to love the neighbor as the self—and a big part of our call as Christians in this time and place is to learn to be neighbors again. We must take the lead in reshaping our communities so that neighbors look out for neighbors, and when your children play outside, you can be confident that there are good people looking out for them. We must not allow for people to be so lonely and isolated that they succumb to despair or become easy prey for those seeking to spread hatred online.

 

In a time when fewer and fewer children and families are participating in church, the need for Spiritual renewal in our congregation has never been more urgent. Children need the unconditional love the Church exists to provide. They need people of faith who will nurture their God-given gifts and talents. It takes a Church to raise children in knowledge and love of the Lord.

 

We must seek to be in relationship with people different from us and burst the bubbles that keep us separated from people of different race, religion, or economic status. We must seek reconciliation and a greater understanding of those who experience systemic prejudice and injustice.

 

We must recognize that nothing in the world is going to change until we break out of our comfort zones, swallow our pride, and recognize how much we need each other in this life. We need to remember, too, that none of the world’s ills are going to be solved without each of us giving something and sacrificing something valuable of ourselves.

 

If we continue to beat our plowshares into swords, fanning the flames of hate, glorifying violence, and seeking the power to dominate one’s enemies, we are guaranteed to see more such atrocities with even greater frequency and severity as we know today.

 

Memorial Day is coming—and as we remember those who’ve selflessly served our country and the cause of freedom, peace, and justice—let us be inspired by their memory to do better. More importantly, let us be inspired by the example of Christ.

 

Therefore, “Go out into the world in peace; have courage; hold on to what is good; return no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak, and help the suffering; honor all people; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Amen.

 

In memoriam:

Alithia Ramirez, Jackie Cazares, Annabell Rodriguez, Mrs. Eva Mireles, Uziyah Garcia, Xavier Lopez, America Jo Garza, Ms. Irma Garcia, Alexandria Rubio, Tess Marie Mata, Maite Rodriguez, Neveah Bravo, Ellie Lugo, Rojelio Torres, Jose Flores, Jr., Eliahana Cruz Torres, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, Jailah Nicole Silguero, Makenna Lee Elrod, Layla Salazar, Miranda Mathis, grandmother Celia Martinez Gonzales.