Lingering in Lament After the Orlando Massacre

As many of you know, 49 victims were killed and many more were injured in a shooting at Pulse Orlando, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

 

Even as we learn their names, we mourn for the victims:

Edward Sotomayor Jr
Stanley Almodovar III
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo
Juan Ramon Guerrero
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz
Luis S. Vielma
Kimberly Morris
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice
Darryl Roman Burt II
Deonka Deidra Drayton
Alejandro Barrios Martinez
Anthony Luis Laureanodisla
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez
Amanda Alvear
Martin Benitez Torres
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon
Mercedez Marisol Flores
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez
Oscar A Aracena-Montero
Enrique L. Rios, Jr.
Miguel Angel Honorato
Javier Jorge-Reyes
Joel Rayon Paniagua
Jason Benjamin Josaphat
Cory James Connell
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez
Luis Daniel Conde
Shane Evan Tomlinson
Juan Chevez-Martinez
Jerald Arthur Wright
Leroy Valentin Fernandez
Tevin Eugene Crosby

Forty-nine people are dead (50 including the shooter). Families are grieving the loss of brothers, sons, daughters, mothers, and sisters. An entire city is mourning over what is the largest mass shooting in the history of the United States.

In faith, I hope the church isn’t remaining silent today. We can’t sit by, “righteously” removed from the loss of life that has happened. We must lead the charge to comfort, not condemn; to mourn, not ignore; to lament, not blame. We can’t allow others who are spewing hate and vitriol in the name of Jesus to poison this well. We need to speak slower, love harder, hug longer as we seek to silence those who preach a hate-filled pseudo-gospel.

We have a biblical mandate to grieve with those who grieve. There are the handful who immediately and openly proclaim that this tragedy is a result of sin or a lack of gun control or lax policing. There are others who retweet an article on the tragedy while harboring feelings that perhaps this end was well deserved. But I have been encouraged by the posts I’ve seen and the people I respect who are reaching out after the Orlando massacre—many of us refuse to fall into these traps as we recognize the value of each of those lives that have been lost.

With Charleston, S.C. as my hometown, when the shootings happened last year at Emanuel AME, I felt physical pain for days, and I wasn’t alone. Churches around the nation hosted vigils for the nine people who died. Believers wept and held each other, feeling deeply bonded over their loss. But yesterday we experienced another grave loss, 50 losses in fact. May we acknowledge that God beautifully and intentionally made each of these victims in His image. May we still faithfully attend the prayer vigils that will be held and weep with those who are weeping because we recognize that lives lost in a nightclub are no less valuable than those lost in a church.

Today I stand with those who are seeking to fill the void of love the church has often shown towards the gay community. Our grief cannot be curbed by disagreement or disapproval. Violence against the LGBTQ community must end, and we, who believe so fervently in the sanctity of human life, must champion this cause.

Now is the time to for the church to act as she should. Now is the time for reckless, radiant selflessness. Now is the time for deep, difficult lament. Too often we rush this part—we get grief wrong. Henri Nouwen once wrote that “the friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing, and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.” Teach us to lament, Lord. Teach us how to be uncomfortable and unsure as we wade through this debilitating darkness with others. Even after the 24-hour news cycle has passed, show us how to remember everything we’ve lost.

“Many people are looking for an ear that will listen,” writes Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking when they should be listening.” May we learn to love and listen. May Jesus come soon and heal this broken world filled with broken people. Until then, may His peace comfort us in the face of something so senseless, and may we comfort each other with the hope we have.

Have mercy, Jesus, and teach us what love looks like today.

**Published by Boundless.org**

Ice Cream Day!

Today is Ice Cream Day! Now, before you start and look up all the national days, I will stop you and say, "This is no national day. This is an international...nay, an intergalactic day. It is in fact Ice Cream Day and this is why: Six years ago today a beautiful baby girl was born. Her name was Rebecca Faith. She was born with a rare condition that caused difficulty. A year and half later she went Home to be with Jesus. Rebecca is my niece. Today, June 10th, we celebrate her life by eating ice cream because on her first and only birthday she was blessed to taste ice cream and loved it!!

This was a hard time for the family. But God is faithful and just and loved Rebecca more than anyone could ever know. She crawled right up into His heavenly lap and is waiting there for the rest of us. We miss her, but we never forget her. Life goes on, yes, but we remember the good times. God is in control at all times and we must have faith that everything will work out. He has reasons for every season.

Our lamentations aren't very long. They may not even exist because we know we will be reunited together in Heaven. We do lament, but we celebrate even more. We celebrate a life that was full of love and laughter. Rebecca is truly a faith child.

Would you join me in celebrating her today with a big bowl of your favorite ice cream? Yumm!

Beauty from Ashes

When I was in university, I was at a loss. I was at a loss of what to study. What did I want to do? Where did I want to go? I knew not the direction I was heading in. Mark Carter was my RD, my Resident Director. He was a great man of God and I loved hanging out with him and he was very supportive. His wife, Rebecca was the career counselor there at Simpson University in Redding, CA. She was the sweetest woman I knew. She was very helpful and played a huge roll in my college career. During my junior year and a big chunk of the following year, I met with Rebecca Carter to determine what course of study I wanted to do, which direction I wanted to go in. I prayed and prayed. We hashed out ideas after ideas and determined that Christian camping is where my heart was truly at. We became friends and I looked forward to our times together. She loved the Lord and made that her driving force behind what she did.

A year or two ago, I heard some devastating news that Rebecca lost a fight to cancer and went home to be with her Savior. She lost to cancer, but she won at life. She is now living with Jesus and living the best career anyone can hope for. Rebecca was an inspiration. She had this beauty and smile that just made you feel good about yourself. I will miss her and look forward to seeing her again soon.

As I met with her in her office, we finally determined that the major of "General Ministry" would be the best course of action for me. It was a mixture of youth ministry, missions and pastoral studies. Whereas I wanted to go into camp ministry, Simpson didn't offer a camping major which at the time I didn't know existed. Therefore, this general major made sense. The year I graduated they offered, "Outdoor Leadership," which I would've jumped at if it was offered earlier. But I was happy with general ministry but often hesitate when people ask me, even today what I studied in college. The reason for this being the generic nature of the major. It has "general" in it's name. There are some who focus on the "ministry" and wonder why I'm not using my major. I never wanted to be a pastor or minister, etc. But the general public misunderstand. Of course starting my own camp has been festering on the back burner for some time.

Rebecca Carter helped fuel the fire in me. She assisted me in finding out what I truly want. She played a pivotal part in my desire for children's ministry. One can wonder why she was taken when she was, but God has reasons and they are not our reasons. We may not understand, but we can believe and have faith and trust and obey. As hard as it is to believe, we can be assured that her work here was done and God took her home. Our work remains unfinished. And we will be reunited soon.

I thank you Rebecca for your love, for your service and for your willingness to help the least of these. You are missed. Your loving nature exudes magnificence and your beauty remains. I will always remember you and your faithfulness. I owe you many thanks. I miss you and grieve with Mark at your passing. But it's not a true passing, for we will see you again shortly...and discuss things of adoration. Talk to you soon sister. Go with God.

Running on Streets of Gold

I graduated high school in 2002. It is now 2016. Through my sophomore, junior and senior years of high school (2000-2001) I learned that my good friend from Elementary School, Cassandra Owens, Cassie to her friends was diagnosed with cancer.

I learned that she was wheelchair bound and lost a leg to cancer. She was in the newspaper and a friend who was on my cross country team knew her some as well. The reason was because Cassie was also a runner. When I knew her in grade school she was not a runner. In fact, we both didn't like to run at all. Now look at us. We were both runners. I regret losing contact with her because she was a great friend to me. She was the sweetest person you ever did meet.

Anyhow, a little while later, sometime in the beginning of the 2000s, she lost her life and was united with God in her Heavenly home. This news hurt. She lived for God. She loved to run. She ran for His pleasure. That was her joy. She wasn't ever a fast runner. I wasn't ever a fast runner. But we both enjoyed it. When Cassie was bound to the wheelchair, her dream was to be able to run again. I have faith and I know that when the Lord called her home, her first order of business was to strap on some Heavenly running shoes and hit the track...hit the track of gold. She is running on the streets of gold while conversing with her Lord.

Those of us who have not yet gone home wonder why. Why is it that the Lord has called her and not me? She was the most gentle person I knew of. She didn't have a mean bone in her body. She was on fire for the Lord and cared for the interests of others rather than herself. She lived in humility and I wish I could have known her in her later years here on earth, but I trust that she was living every second and running every second for Jesus Christ. I miss you Cassie and look forward to seeing you again soon.

As I lament here, I want to remember Cassandra Owens. I want to remember Cassie as who she was and who she is. There is a picture I have somewhere from Kindergarten graduation where Cassie and I are talking with each other. I wish I could find it and attach it. But let's just say I remember her well. She was kind, gentle and humbling. She was strong, courageous and I am sure she grew to be a daughter of God until she went to her House in the Heavenly Realms.

You are missed, but your legacy remains. See you soon my sister in Christ. See you soon Cassie.