Patty Shelly, moderator; David Boshart, moderator-elect
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As Mennonite Church USA, we grieve the horrific act of violence toward LGBTQ persons perpetrated in Orlando early last Sunday morning, cutting short the lives of 49 people and wounding 53 more. We are appalled that the shooter specifically targeted LGBTQ Latinos, acting out of hatred for people created in the image of God. We lament the culture of violence in our society and our participation in it.
We stand with our Muslim neighbors who have condemned this heinous act and have stepped forward to assist the victims. We pledge to work shoulder-to-shoulder with all people of faith — to overcome evil with good, hatred with love, violence with peacemaking and inequity with justice.
We pray for the people of Orlando; for the victims and their families, friends and loved ones; for LGBTQ communities who are traumatized by hatred and violence directed toward them or taking place around them; for Muslim communities; and for the many people providing support in the aftermath of this tragedy. We pray for the family and friends of the shooter. And we pray for ourselves, that we may have the courage to do what is right in the face of terror or fearmongering, putting our hope in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. May God have mercy on us all.
Patricia Shelly, moderator
David Boshart, moderator-elect
Mennonite Church USA
[…] complicity in this violence. (Note: The Moderator and Moderator-Elect of MCUSA published this statement on June 15.) While it is difficult to find words at such a time, we realize that silence serves to […]
Often in our practiced crafted construct of words, we lose track of meaning , emotion , and our true intent. Perhaps right now for all Mennonites to publicly asking the LGBTQ people in their own denomination what they need right now. Or why bring a trained person to facilitate a conversation about our feelings, our fears – our guilt, our rage and our anger.
Please read this. Please know the pain the rhetoric of the church causes. Please know the pain the remarks made in families cause. I so desperately wish my own parents would read this.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-orlando-shooting-is-defining-moment-for-parents_us_5763038fe4b057ac661b988a
Jean,
Thank You For Posting That Amazing Article! What A Beautiful Family To Help Such A Sweet Young Lady, And Then To Actually Be So Open To Learn Whatever Was Needed To Help Elizabeth, And People In Their Own Community…We NEED More People Like This In ALL Of Our Mennonite Churches…Whether, Conservative, Mennonite USA Or Any Other Type Of Mennonite!!! We Need MORE People Like This Throughout Our Entire World!! Accepting Of ALL People That Were Made In The Image Of God…Regardless Of Color, Creed, Sexual Orientation Or Anything Else!!
God Help Us ALL For Not Being Loving, Accepting, And Forgiving When We Should Be!