As an
ordained minister, father, husband, and a guy who lives in America, I feel a painful
needed to write a brilliant response to the tragedy that occurred Saturday
night in Orlando. I wish I had great words of wisdom that I could pen that
would give everyone great comfort, hope, and a renewed since of peace. But I
have no words. What we witnessed was unspeakable incomprehensible evil.
I ask that we as a society for a moment turn
down the volume of rhetoric that is increased by the media, politicians, and religious
leaders. We must realize everyone has an agenda and it is not necessarily to
comfort those who are hurting and whose lives have been devastated. We can all
cast blame when we cannot conceptualize such an act of terrorism. If we are courageous
enough to silence our own agenda we will find many families that are devastated,
hurting, confused, and in a state of shock. We will find a community of liked
individuals that were singled out as a target in a state of fear. If we have
the bravery to turn down the rhetoric, we will hear a nation that is fearful of
the stranger and a trust that has been destroyed. I concede that there are many
questions that need to be answered and action taken. But now is not that time.
So let us only
look at the facts without any agendas. A
disturbed individual filled with hate systematically planned, orchestrated and maliciously
murdered and injured a group of innocent people. That is pure evil. Evil is evil no matter the
weapon used or its availability, no matter the religious affiliation, no matter
the lifestyle of the victims, no matter the nationality of those murdered, and
no matter our government’s effectiveness to protect us. Evil has no empathy for
the victims but we as a society should. We should turn down the volume of rhetoric
and listen to those hurting, confused, devastated, and in shock in losing a
loved one to a senseless act. We should comfort the families that will have to
bury their loved one due this repulsive act. Any act of terrorism has two vital
components. First is to cause death and destruction with the greatest of impact
and causalities. The other is to incite fear, mistrust and divide. The first
has happened and we have no control over. The second as a community we have total
control over. So let us pray for those who are burying the innocent. Let us
support, encourage, and uplift a community that was singled out as a target. Let
us stop the rhetoric, finger pointing, and grandstanding because people’s lives
have been forever destroyed. There will
be a season to reevaluate, dissect, and analyze if this could have been
prevented but now is not that time. We must realize that hate was the catalyst
that ignited this massacre. So let’s try to love more, pray more, empathize more,
trust more, and listen more. Let us be open not to rhetoric but to the spirit
of God and the spirit of humanity. There will be a time we can get back on personal
crusades, agendas and debate the issues but now is not the time. Let us as a
nation mourn for those that evil took away from us. Let us listen less to the
social media and pray more for comfort. We might never know the why but for now
remember those who are hurting, confused, scared, and devastated. They are the
only thing that matters.
What can we do?
As a community, let us cry with those who are mourning and with those who are
hurting. Let us have the have courage and
unity exclaiming to all who will listen exactly what this act is: evil. Evil: unadulterated,
pure, and simple.
You can be
the light in our dark world.
Tommy
