re: Orlando
Just heard about the tragedy in Florida. My liberal friends are already speaking out, so if I'm going to contribute meaningfully to this conversation, it has to be from a conservative, Christian perspective:
The location of this shooting was not a coincidence. Whatever problems this guy had, he was surrounded by messages saying our LGBTQ neighbors are bizarre, unnatural, even dangerous.
His actions are, of course, his own responsibility. But we all have a part to play in creating safe communities. Part of that responsibility is making it clear that no one is to be excluded from our churches, our families, or our lives for who they are.
Presumably, you would never shoot up a club. I daresay everyone reading this would also never kick their children out to starve on the streets because of how they identify, but it happens every single day, not as an isolated act but as part of a culture that implicitly condones it. So I beg you to think before you speak about how your words could be interpreted.
The history books will reflect that at this time, we are a nation in crisis. Both religiously (for the Christians here) and politically, our core values are being tested. Do we believe in a land of freedom and opportunity, where everyone can worship (or not) according to the dictates of their conscience? Do we believe that everyone is covered by God's abundant grace? In short, do we have the faith and courage to stand up for our values and start loving our neighbors, or will we continue to lash out in fear, until either everyone else is dead, or we are, and our ideals with us?
History waits for our answer, but our friends and neighbors and loved ones cannot wait any longer. For over 50 of us in Florida, it is already too late.
The location of this shooting was not a coincidence. Whatever problems this guy had, he was surrounded by messages saying our LGBTQ neighbors are bizarre, unnatural, even dangerous.
His actions are, of course, his own responsibility. But we all have a part to play in creating safe communities. Part of that responsibility is making it clear that no one is to be excluded from our churches, our families, or our lives for who they are.
Presumably, you would never shoot up a club. I daresay everyone reading this would also never kick their children out to starve on the streets because of how they identify, but it happens every single day, not as an isolated act but as part of a culture that implicitly condones it. So I beg you to think before you speak about how your words could be interpreted.
The history books will reflect that at this time, we are a nation in crisis. Both religiously (for the Christians here) and politically, our core values are being tested. Do we believe in a land of freedom and opportunity, where everyone can worship (or not) according to the dictates of their conscience? Do we believe that everyone is covered by God's abundant grace? In short, do we have the faith and courage to stand up for our values and start loving our neighbors, or will we continue to lash out in fear, until either everyone else is dead, or we are, and our ideals with us?
History waits for our answer, but our friends and neighbors and loved ones cannot wait any longer. For over 50 of us in Florida, it is already too late.