"We stand here this evening, a few here, a many there, hundreds, thousands..."
Rev. Virginia Jarocha-Ernst
Main Line Unitarian Church,
Devon, PA
We stand here this evening, a few here, a many there, hundreds, thousands—across this continent and beyond, Unitarian Universalists are standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are grieving and hurt in Knoxville Tennessee tonight. We know that when they are hurt, we are hurt as well. Because of our fragile yet real interdependence, because we are more connected by love and care than separated by hatred and distrust, we stand here to bear witness to the pain of the world.
We stand here to show our love and support for the victims of the shooting and to help them to begin on their long road to healing. We stand here with all those who are afraid and whose safe sanctuaries are feeling more vulnerable than they should ever be allowed to be. We stand here to show our compassion for all those troubled hearts whose fears are in danger of overcoming their true loving spirits.
And tonight we stand here to bear witness to the truth that love will overcome hatred. The truth that each of us has the right to love whom we choose, that hatred and fear will not win in the end—they never really do. In these dark days we must trust that the love, respect, and the dignity of each human heart will shine through. In this, we must stand together and be strong.
For Greg McKendry, Linda Kreager and those seven who have been injured and for the hundreds of witnesses, children and adults, who are emotionally scarred, let us offer our deepest prayers and send them our greatest love. For Jim Adkisson whose deep brokenness has brought us to this terrible pain we offer our compassion and prayers for justice and healing as well.
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Last updated on Thursday, June 3, 2010.
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