Tonight our UU church in Devon, PA held a candlelight vigil to mourn the loss of innocent lives in a shooting rampage at one of our fellow congregations in Knoxville, Tennessee. For my first diary, I am sharing that service with all of you, with the permission of our minister Virginia Jarocha-Ernst. The service was held at sundown on the steps of our church, and about 40 men, women and children were present.
Candlelight Vigil July 28, 2008
– Rev. Virginia Jarocha-Ernst
Solo flute: Adeline Tomasone
Hymn: Spirit of Life by Carolyn McDade
Spirit of Life, come unto me
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea,
Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold me close,
Wings set me free,
Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me.
We stand here this evening, a few here, a many there, hundreds, thousands -
across this continent and beyond, Unitarian Universalists are standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are grieving and hurt in Knoxville Tennessee tonight. We know that when they are hurt, we are hurt as well. Because of our fragile yet real interdependence, because we are more connected by love and care than separated by hatred and distrust, we stand here to bear witness to the pain of the world.
We stand here to show our love and support for the victims of the shooting and to help them to begin on their long road to healing. We stand here with all those who are afraid and whose safe sanctuaries are feeling more vulnerable than they should ever be allowed to be. We stand here to show our compassion for all those troubled hearts whose fears are in danger of overcoming their true loving spirits.
And tonight we stand here to bear witness to the truth that love will overcome hatred. The truth that each of us has the right to love whom we choose, that hatred and fear will not win in the end – they never really do. In these dark days we must trust that the love, respect, and the dignity of each human heart will shine through. In this, we must stand together and be strong.
For Greg McKendry, Linda Kreager and those 7 who have been injured and for the hundreds of witnesses, children and adults, who are emotionally scarred, let us offer our deepest prayers and send them our greatest love. For Jim Adkisson whose deep brokenness has brought us to this terrible pain we offer our compassion and prayers for justice and healing as well.
Chalice Lighting
We light this chalice, symbol of our free faith, for the healing and wholeness of the human spirit and for the faith that what has been done in the name of hatred and fear, will never have ultimate power over the love that holds this beautiful and fragile universe together.
Prayer
Spirit of Life and love, great mystery, God of many names we pray,
Hold us all in your caring embrace this night and in the troubling days to come,
Help us to find the strength to show compassion,
Help us to be brave and courageous in the moments of our deepest fears,
May our sisters and brothers who live with fear and grief find comfort in the love and care of both stranger and friend.
May this light we now kindle be used to heal and not to harm,
To show us the way toward more reason and deeper tolerance,
and a greater love for each other and for all the earth’s creatures,
Candle Lighting (Each person lights the candle of the next until all are lit)
Solo flute: Adeline Tomasone
Benediction
Dear friends,
The world has never been a safe enough place.
Not when there are those who are hungry,
not when there are those who are in need of help go wanting still.
The only way that we can create a safer world,
here in this church, in this community, in this country and among all the nations and people of the earth is to plant our seeds of love courageously, to go boldly forward, in spite of our pain, with faith in the possibility of goodness in humanity and in all of creation..
To not give in to our fears but see the light of dignity and worth in every face we meet. Tonight we know again that there are heroes among us,
Ordinary men and women and children who will try to do the right thing,
to behave with dignity and with honor in the most trying times.
We stand with them tonight in awe and in sympathy.
May peace be with them and with us all.
Amen.
Hymn: Love Will Guide Us by Sally Rogers
Love will guide us, peace has tried us
Hope inside us will lead the way.
On the road from greed to giving
Love will guide us through the hard night
If you cannot sing like angels,
If you cannot speak before thousands,
You can give from deep within you.
You can change the world with your love.
Love will guide us,
Peace has tried us, Hope inside us will lead the way
On the road from greed to giving.
Love will guide us through the dark night.