Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

 

As Jesus wept upon the news of Lazarus's death, so do we, the body of Christ, weep at the news coming from Orlando. This horrifying and heartbreaking tragedy leaves us feeling stunned, vulnerable, insecure, and threatened. This is doubtless immeasurably more so for our sisters and brothers in the LGBT community who have so long been threatened and vulnerable.

 

In our desperate effort to make some sense of this inherently senseless event, it is tempting to define it as the act of a deranged and violent soul driven by hate, thus distancing ourselves from its reality and pain. Some may even find themselves attributing it to the perpetrator's religious background and ethnicity. The power of evil wants nothing more than to use it in further separating us one from another.

 

But this largest mass shooting in our nation's history calls us to be confessional about the violence, terror, and continuing homophobia that we have come to accept in our society, and by which acceptance we have become part of. If we are to be intolerant of anything, may it be these things. May we confront hatred and violence not with fear and a hatred and violence of our own, but with a renewed commitment to the security and wellbeing of all, and with a deeper vulnerability to the humanity of those from whom we differ in any way. May we remember that the other, of course, is always Jesus.

 

In this month of Gay Pride, there is much to be proud of and grateful for, especially given the landmark events of the last year. In the midst of our anguish and pain, may we hold the victims of this killing, those they loved, and those who loved them in our hearts, and be proud of them for the integrity of their lives. And may they and we be forever held together in the gentle and firm arms of God's mercy.

 

You and they are very much in my prayers,

 

The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.

Bishop of Ohio