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As I scroll through my email, reading so many statements of grief and care from people and organizations of many different faith traditions in the wake of the horrific shooting at the mosque in San Diego, I mourn for us all. I mourn particularly for the senseless loss of life, taken as an Islamic community gathered in their sacred space. I mourn for those who survive and will forever be affected by the trauma they experienced. I mourn for people of faith everywhere who worry that their house of worship could be next. I mourn.
And yet in the midst of my grief, I also find myself wondering how we are are here again and what we can do to stop this pervasive religious intolerance and violence. This week, it was the Islamic Center of San Diego; two months ago, Temple Israel of West Bloomfield, Michigan; nine months ago, the Meetinghouse of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, Grand Blanc Township, Michigan; a month before that, Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The list could go on and on.
We as people of faith who respect the sanctity of human life and understand all creation as sacred, are left to wonder how our society has become so broken that diversity and religious differences are not valued nor respected. While I unfortunately know that this is nothing new, it's hard to fathom the number of incidents that are occurring and not feel a sense of powerlessness. And the fact that the perpetrators of these murders who then committed suicide, were still teenagers hit me hard. How can we stop the spread of hatred in the age of an internet far beyond many of our understanding? There are no easy answers, but we need to find ways to try.
At our Marin Interfaith Council board meeting this week, the question was asked, how do we respond? How do we support our Muslim neighbors at this time? Zachary Twist, the representative from the Islamic Center of North Marin, said something very simple. "Leave a message of support on the Islamic Center's answering machine, and it will get shared with the community." So I'll add, send a note. Attend Friday prayers at 1pm to experience their beautiful worship. Join them at their Friday evening potluck (which is always amazing food)!
The more we know and learn about those who believe and practice differently from us, the more we will see that their sacred texts have as many words of wisdom as ours. Attending worship in a different faith poses challenges and questions, but those can lead to great conversations and opportunities to deepen one's understanding of the holy if our hearts are open.
We are blessed to share in a community that values the differences that make us unique . Let us find ways to do more to better this gracious world in which we were placed. And please, reach out to me if you have any thoughts on things MIC can do to build a community of faith and trust that respects and honors our differences.
Peace,
Rev. Lynn
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