Ten years ago today what was then the largest mass shooting in American history occurred at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. In what was nothing more than an evil act of mass hate, 49 people lost their lives, 53 people were injured, and millions of LGBTQIA+ Americans felt less safe.
As far as we have come as a society and a nation, events like the Pulse massacre remind us that we still have a long way to go before we reach the day when all of God’s children are valued, respected, and safe.
So what should a Christian do? How can we help move the needle toward justice?
The most comprehensive answer comes from Jesus in the gospels when he tells us to, “love the Lord your God with all your heart and your soul and your mind and your strength…and your neighbor as yourself.” If we are living intentionally loving lives, we help usher in the kind of just world only love can create. Still, that begs the question of what that love looks like in a world with so much hate and inmity.
Here are a few things you, as a disciple of Christ can do to bring a little more justice and love into the world:
- Treat everyone you meet as wonderfully made in the image of God.
- Make an effort to learn about something that makes you uncomfortable or confused.
- Be unwilling to stay silent when someone speaks with hate or bigotry.
- Remember that agreement is not necessary to build community; love is.
As we remember today the victims of Pulse and all those who have been victims of hate in the world, we remember that hate is like darkness, it lasts only until light is shined on it. And Christ tells us that we are the light of the world.