![]() ![]() I’ve watched children of contradiction come togetherīy their words, their deeds, and their humanitarian spirit, all of the honorees have made the victims of this tragic shooting into witnesses for the affirmation of life rather than its rejection. I see heaven in your tears and feel the weight of sadness The words of poet and honoree Markus Amaker both express the grief of the community and inspire the fortitude not just to carry on, but to unite, to elevate ourselves and those around us. They have supported a memorial foundation, hosted events commemorating the victims – including a “forum of forgiveness” – labored to strengthen this church and promote its good works, and even consoled us with poetry. They have come together, they have helped the community come together, to celebrate and remember the Emanuel Nine. Each of them has shown unstinting devotion to the families of the victims of the shooting and to the broader community affected by this tragic event. That is what the people honored here today have done. ![]() Kushner says that when “suffering and death in someone close to us bring us to explore the limits of our capacity for strength and love and cheerfulness, when it leads us to discover sources of consolation we never knew before, then we make into a witness for the affirmation of life rather than its rejection.” But each of us can decide our response to it, in the strength we muster, the kindness we exercise, the communities we forge. Kushner tells us that tragedy is part of the human condition. Religious and lay leaders of all faiths have praised the book and relied on its lessons. The book is called When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Rabbi Harold Kushner. I am reminded of a beautiful and inspiring book with a title that perfectly describes the tragic events of that night. The generosity of these unfortunate victims, their humanity and kindness, tells us that these were good, decent people who lived according to their faith – and died in its embrace. “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you,Īnd you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of A scruffy 21-year-old white man, a stranger, showed up unannounced at the Fellowship Hall for the Bible Study, and without reservation, they invited him to join their worship. When Dylan Roof came to Mother Emanuel Church on June 17, the church leaders and parishioners did not know him. But there is one aspect of that night I want to highlight. I will not put you through another recitation. You undoubtedly have heard accounts of the shootings on June 17, 2015, many, many times. ![]()
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