Making Sense of the Senseless
Dear Friends:
I was attending our Diocese of Dallas Clergy Conference at Camp Allen this week when we all received the horrific news of the mass school shooting in Uvalde. Sadly, this has impacted my family. My daughter in law Kiersten’s mother taught middle school in Uvalde until last year, when she moved to Marshall, TX to teach. She knew some of the students and teachers, and Kiersten’s sister babysat for one of the little girls killed. We are beside ourselves with sadness.
There have been hundreds of mass shootings in these first five months of 2022 alone. How do we begin to unpack such violence? How do we deal with our grief and sorrow? “A voice was heard in Ramah; Rachel weeping for her children, for they are no more.”
I do not have answers for you except for this: Prayer and common sense. And I don’t mean pithy “thoughts and prayers.” I mean deep, from the heart, gut-wrenching prayers for peace and security. Prayers for the dead and the bereft. Prayers that our government leaders will enact laws to protect the safety and rights of all. Prayers that the mentally ill receive the help they need. I am available to meet with you for either individual or group prayer. Please let me know if this is something you would like to do.
Next, we need to use common sense. If you see something amiss in someone you know, say something. It could save lives, including their own. And, we will be implementing additional security measures at St. John’s on Sunday mornings, with a security volunteer overseeing the parking lot, locking the doors at 10:05 and having someone watching the security cameras until at least 10:15. I don’t like that we must do this, but as your Priest-in-Charge, it is my duty to protect our congregants – again, using common sense and practical action.
Our lesson from Acts this Sunday teaches us that God can break into even our darkest moments, giving us a sense of freedom and peace. Come on Sunday to hear the whole amazing story about how God’s reconciling grace can fill our own lives, even during these trying times.
In Christ,Mother Marci Pounders+