the UU church shooting
I'm a member of a UU LJ community called
chalice_circle where we are all talking about the shootings at TVUUC. I've read two first hand accounts of the terrible event, here and here. This is the first hate crime to hit me so close to home. I've been a member at UUFS for 10 years, just a year or two shorter than I've been Wiccan. The UU is a big part of my spirituality, it's my first spiritual family. I taught UU sunday school there for 4 years, before I had my first son. It's hard enough being Wiccan, now being a UU can get you shot at! At my old job, which I quit, I was out about being a UU, but hid the fact that I'm Wiccan. I thought it was "safer" to be a UU in public. I keep wondering, what exactly is keeping violent people from showing up at a public ASW event. I'm sure there are magickal safeguards, but I'd feel better knowing more about them. What about the practical? What do we do if someone "scary" shows up, what do we do in the event of an emergency? What do I teach my son? Do I tell him not to talk about our church at school? Should I be more careful being out of the broom closet?
Yesterday, I cleaned up my altar, and lit some insence to thank the Gods for the lessons I've learned during my Saturn's Return, and for my family. I also asked Quan Yin to help bring compassion and peace to the TUUVC, and to the shooter. As Sinkford said here "he must have been living in his own personal hell." I don't think forgiveness is the right word, but the shooter needs healing as well. Hate always leads to suffering, and weather he deserves healing or not is not for me to judge, but without healing there will always be another angry person with a gun.
Dove
chalice_circle where we are all talking about the shootings at TVUUC. I've read two first hand accounts of the terrible event, here and here. This is the first hate crime to hit me so close to home. I've been a member at UUFS for 10 years, just a year or two shorter than I've been Wiccan. The UU is a big part of my spirituality, it's my first spiritual family. I taught UU sunday school there for 4 years, before I had my first son. It's hard enough being Wiccan, now being a UU can get you shot at! At my old job, which I quit, I was out about being a UU, but hid the fact that I'm Wiccan. I thought it was "safer" to be a UU in public. I keep wondering, what exactly is keeping violent people from showing up at a public ASW event. I'm sure there are magickal safeguards, but I'd feel better knowing more about them. What about the practical? What do we do if someone "scary" shows up, what do we do in the event of an emergency? What do I teach my son? Do I tell him not to talk about our church at school? Should I be more careful being out of the broom closet?
Yesterday, I cleaned up my altar, and lit some insence to thank the Gods for the lessons I've learned during my Saturn's Return, and for my family. I also asked Quan Yin to help bring compassion and peace to the TUUVC, and to the shooter. As Sinkford said here "he must have been living in his own personal hell." I don't think forgiveness is the right word, but the shooter needs healing as well. Hate always leads to suffering, and weather he deserves healing or not is not for me to judge, but without healing there will always be another angry person with a gun.
Dove