Love.

[some thoughts on tragedy and spiritual response]

We often use our inability

to acknowledge and wrestle with

the spiritual tension in tragedy

as a crutch to do nothing,

or as an excuse to keep on our personal blinders.

Instead, let us go forth in our human imperfection

with the same Compassion, Grace, Mercy, and Love

our God pours out on us.

Let us move towards people with love in our conversations.

Let us enter into grief without arguments or excuses

but with tears and understanding.

Let us extend hands to hold each other together,

to do whatever is in our power to do,

and let us not stand for injustice of any kind.

And as we move towards each other

with love and questions and tears and doubts and actions,

I do believe we will find Jesus is present

in the middle of it all.