My community hungers for peace and justice and this has been congruent within my spiritual life journey. I am reminded of gun violence daily as my workplace has a sign that states our agency name “bans guns from these premises.”
When I was invited by our youth ministry coordinator, Paul, to the 10th Anniversary Columbine Gun Violence Memorial Service, I thought, “Got to Show Up!” This has been another spiritual theme in my life journey, specifically influenced by the past experience of Clinical Pastoral Education. From my faith tradition, I hold onto tight the belief that “so by faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:17 Revised Standard Version). So, on the 10th Anniversary of Columbine, I participated in a bell ringing in memory of the 12 students and teacher killed by two teenagers whose weapons were bought at a gun show from an unlicensed dealer who was never required to perform a background check. And, the bell was rung so many more times for others whose lives had been lost to gun violence, including law enforcement personnel.
Click image to view the 10th Anniversary Columbine Gun Violence Memorial Service.
I am allowing myself to be outraged at all the senseless death and injury from gun violence. But I promise to use this energy and transform this anger by joining a community of concerned persons who are working toward peace, justice, and fostering hope, that laws and policies can be changed for a safer world.
A beautiful tribute to those killed in the Columbine shooting. Years ago, we were on a cruise with our son and some of the survivors of the tragedy were on the ship as well. My son enjoyed talking with them. Who knew that 10 years later he would lose his life to gun violence. Bless you all.