Remarks on Charlottesville Riot on August 13, 2017

In the beautiful first reading of Isaiah waiting for God in the cave, God is not found in the powerful wind, the earthquake or the fire.  Instead, God comes intimately, in “a tiny whispering sound.”  Yesterday, in Charlottesville, we found that God can speak even more softly than that – in the sound of a tear hitting the ground.

That tear sets off an alert in us.  That forces of hatred and bigotry, white supremacists and neo Nazis must still be confronted.  That when such horrific forces are at work they are borne of ignorance, fear and isolation.  Predictably, they can only offer violence and hatred in support of their banal arguments. They must be challenged as they were yesterday with peace, creativity and love.  We can never let down our vigilance against the forces of hate until we are one nation, one people, one body of Christ.

Let us pray for the victims of the violence in Charlottesville, especially the three who died yesterday.  Let us pray for those who bear the burden of prejudice every day and let us work toward a conversion of hearts so that we might truly live as one.