On Saturday, June 13 at a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump in Butler, gunshots were fired. As of this writing, there are not many details, but at least two people have lost their lives – the shooter and one rally participant, according to the Associated Press.
LAMPa mourns the loss of life, and we condemn the use of violence. In the current climate of hateful, polarized rhetoric, words get turned too easily into deadly action, aided by easy access to deadly weapons.
Bishop Kurt Kusserow, of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, where Butler is located, also issued a statement, calling for prayer and the work of peace:
“When we pray the Lord’s Prayer this Sunday and in the weeks to come, let us not only pray for peace in our communities, but also work together for peace across our nation. We do this when we reject violence as a way to resolve our differences, and we do this when we take the time truly to listen to our neighbors.”
As people of faith, those who follow the Prince of Peace, Lutherans must stop the cycle of hate and violence, of dehumanizing one another to the point of death.
Undoubtedly, as Lutherans across Pennsylvania gather for worship, we will pray. Let us pray for the victim of the shooting, for those at the rally, for former President Trump, and all who have suffered the trauma of gun violence. Let us pray for the shooter, that the hate which filled their heart might be transformed in the presence of God. And let us pray for our nation – that we might use this moment to come together to break the cycle of hatred and violence that seems to have held us captive. Let us confess and repent of the ways in which we have been in bondage to that sin, and to find a path forward led by God’s mercy and compassion.
As we contemplate how best to follow that path of peace, here are resources for you as you prepare for worship in the aftermath of this shooting, and to continue the conversation on how to live together in reconciliation as we continue in this election season:
Bishop Eaton Addresses Political Violence
Statement from Bishop Kusserow, Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod
Statement from Bishop DeForest, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod
Social Message on Community Violence
Social Message on Gun-related Violence and Trauma
Draft Social Statement on Civic Life and Faith
Service of Prayer in Times of Violence (from 2016)
Worship Resources for a National Election
A prayer from the above resource:
Holy God,
out of your great love for the world,
your Word became flesh to live among us
and to reconcile us to you and to one another.
Rekindle among us the gift of your Spirit
that we might live as one new humanity in Christ,
dismantling the walls that divide,
ending the hostility between us,
and proclaiming peace those who are near
and to those who are far away;
through Christ Jesus, in whom we all have access,
in the one Spirit to you,
both now and forever. Amen.
(Holden Prayer around the Cross, p. 132-33)
