My Dear Sisters and Brothers at Christ Church,
On Tuesday I was at Disneyland, "the happiest place on earth," with my family. It was joyful and totally exhausting. As we waited in line to ride The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, my favorite ride in the park, many of the adults began murmuring and showing their phone screens to each other. News of the mass-murder of school children in Texas had just rippled across the Internet. I was speechless. I felt ashamed for enjoying an amusement park while our nation wretched with grief yet again. I pulled my kids in close but said nothing to them because I just couldn't bear telling them about the shooting. Holly and I squeezed hands.
I prayed for the murder victims, of course, as did millions and millions of people. But the phrase "thoughts and prayers" which so many politicians utter after each shooting rings hollow. It reminds me of Michael Curry's statement which I quoted in my sermon last week: “You cannot love the God who you cannot see if you do not love your brother or sister who you can see.” Our prayers aren't enough if we don't make common-sense gun control a priority for the brother, sister and child we can see.
I want to do something about this, personally and as a church, but I admit I feel helpless. Psalm 79 rings in my ears: "How long will you be angry with your people's prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves." Let's pray, let's write more letters, let's vote, let's weep.
Hang in there and God bless you.
-Stephen