Piloting Faith: The shooting continues...
A Word for the Day...
Its happened again...twice. More mass shootings by white men, one of whom published a manifesto filled with white nationalist language and racist hatred toward immigrants and Latinos. He blamed immigrants and first-generation Americans for taking away jobs. These are men who are emboldened by our nation's devolution into fear and hate. It's extraordinary to consider that our own citizens are being radicalized by our national leaders and national rhetoric.
What if radicalization could work in the opposite direction too? In the face of such tragedy, what if we could be radicalized for love? I think more and more of us now believe:
White nationalism is evil and must be eradicated.
Love trumps hate. It's the only antidote to fear.
Toxic masculinity is killing us all. We need a masculism movement as well as a feminist movement.
It's tempting to think protesting doesn't matter. It does. Show up.
We must have a sense of the shared common good. We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers.
I am praying for a radicalization of our nation...for LOVE, for KINDNESS, for the COMMON GOOD.
We could pray for all of the families devastated by gun violence. But praying for a change in our own hearts might be the better place to start.
- Rev. Cameron Trimble, author of Piloting Church: Helping Your Congregation Take Flight
Prayer for the Week
Lead us from death to life,
from falsehood to truth.
Lead us from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
Let peace fill our hearts,
our world, our universe.
Let us dream together,
pray together,
work together,
to build one world
of peace and justice for all.