Loving God, Ever Present Force of Life

We gather, eyes open to the grief and heartbreak, again and we wonder how many more.

We see teachers and students, parents and children, beloved family and friends shedding countless tears, the sacred and beautiful, amazing and unique lost in devastating violence to the worst of our inhumanity. 

We see memorials when we should see birthdays, weddings and graduations. 
We see grief and terror when we should see dancing and playing and beautiful laughter.

We see the details of the day, the timeline and doors of entry; weapons of mass destruction, the obscene ammunition,  the ease of purchase and the broken mind. 
We see the violence and terror, the wild horror of destruction. 
We see the heartbreak, the utter devistation and the need for DNA.

Don’t let us look away. Keep our eyes open to the heartbreak we can only dare to imagine.

We see children survivors bearing invisible scars; 
how will they enter the classroom again, 
how will they play without their classmates and friends, 
how will they trust a space to be safe ever again. 

We see families grieving, sobbing, a part of their heart gone, how will they, how can they ever move on. 
We see see this over and over again, we know this story, at schools and movie theaters; grocery stores, malls, hospitals and church; concerts, nightclubs  and places of work…places we go every day. 

Places we should be free and safe. 

Places violated by weapons of war…how can we let it be one more.  
Don’t let us look away. Keep our eyes open to the heartbreak and our hearts determined to make change. 

We see neighbors holding tight to fears, lies and weapons of mass destruction.
We see the NRA spinning rights without limits, boundaries or responsibilities, 

We see cooperation’s profit from our pain and we see the politicians bought and sold by their lobbing.
We see hard conversations in our future, advocacy work at capitals and a relentless push to make change. 

Don’t look away, from the hurt and the heartbreak.
Don’t let us turn on Netflix to numb, don’t let us turn off the news and slip back into our sense of ease, 
don’t let us give up because the rules seem to hard to change and the systems are stacked for the powerful. 

Don’t look away from the wounding that demands we show up, take action and offer more than thoughts and prayers for a change.
Don’t let us look away from the violence and destruction that demands we march and shout and press every lever to make our communities safe.

This carnage is man-made and can be un-made. We can write a new script. We can make a new way. 

Keep our eyes on the prize of peace, love and change. 
Keep our eyes open for for a world where life is sacred and valued. Don’t let us look away. 

This we pray. Amen