Old Man in Sorrow – Vincent van Gogh 1890
Before heading out to work this morning, I’m heading to church. Drawn there by grief and not knowing what else to do. The hate and fear that could move one human being to massacre innocent people is unfathomable to me. As is often the case in the face of such horror, I feel helpless.
The temptation is to hate back. But if we do, hate wins.
Facebook is full of quotes and suggestions. One counseled kindness. Be especially kind today at work and as you go about your day. You have no idea who may be “suffering quietly” after Sunday’s massacre. Good advice at any time, but particularly today. How often do those in the LGBTQ community and those who love them suffer quietly, their pain and struggle held close and out of sight?
Today I will try to love and live in a way that fosters peace. They will be small ways. I’m not a celebrity whose words will be quoted. I’m not in a position of power to make laws or change the ones we have. At least not quickly. Most of us are not.
Painting by Richard Duarte Brown
But we can refuse to hate, as difficult as that can be at times like this. We can refuse to blame entire religions (Some would like to point fingers at Islam, others at Christianity.). We can offer comfort, listen, pray. We can grieve with those who have lost family and friends, who have lost any sense of safety. We can make our voices heard by speaking up and communicating with those who are political and religious leaders.
But I think, most of all, we can live our ordinary lives with love and compassion. We can walk forward calling on the power of infinite Love in the face of evil. And have hope. What else is there to do?
Just what I needed to hear!
Thank you mary…your words are needed in the face of such tragedy.
I join you in feeling grief and sadness. But I am not spending one moment to try ro understand what motivates such a person to commit this atrocity, because to do so implies there is some logic to be discovered. On the contrary, I conclude from all I hear about this killer that he was a person with serious mental health issues. Actions of a mentally ill person defy logic, hence the actions help us know the person was mentally ill. That said, I am grateful to you in heightening our awareness that all of the good people of the world need to regularly do acts of kindness toward our fellow occupants of this earth…LGBT, Muslum, Christian, Jewish, Agnostic…of course that list goes on forever!
True, Nancy. Surely, this was a deeply troubled man. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.