August 5, 2019
We spent the Sabbath mourning and praying for the families of the innocent who were gunned down Saturday in pre-meditated massacres in El Paso and Dayton, as well as for precious children of God killed in Gilroy last week. Familiar with the image of a Maker who weeps with us, we feel deep sorrow in our knowledge that the shooters are “without affection, and… hate their own blood” (Moses 7:29 and 33). We refuse to become numb or to believe that mass shootings are a way of life in America and will never accept this horror as inevitable or unstoppable. We actively pray that the hearts of men and women will change.
On Monday, we feel called to action. As details emerge about the El Paso killing, we all recognize in the shooter’s manifesto the echoes of prejudicial rhetoric coming from our highest leaders. This is rhetoric which speaks about invasions and infestations and paints neighbors as enemies. The speech of white nationalism and white supremacy is infecting our discourse and poisoning America. When its proponents are armed with rifles, it too often leads to the killing of brown and black bodies and religious minorities.
It is critical that we name this as hate and counter with acts of profound love. Silence or hollow calls for counterfeit unity and selective civility are evidence of a cruel complacency that we will not abide. It is not enough for our political leaders to denounce the fire they lit. They must now actively and remorsefully work with the full weight of their offices to douse this flame. If they are not able or willing to engage in meaningful cooperative actions to resist, counteract, and eliminate this scourge, then they must be called upon to step aside for leaders who will. That is the unity we need at this time: unified speech, action and leadership in defense of an open and pluralistic society.
As we confront this wickedness, our hearts swell “wide as eternity.” We have “bitterness of soul” and “refuse to be comforted.” But when we join our voices together to write, call, and insist that our elected representatives speak and act with great care, we can all experience the healing power of proactive peacemaking. We implore our fellow citizens to join us in this movement toward love. It is the kind of love that demands justice, that emerges from the ashes of affliction, and that binds us together in a powerful demonstration of the undeniable divinity within each of us, the recognition that we are all children of God, equal in his sight.
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Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring women of faith to be ambassadors of peace who transcend partisanship and courageously advocate for ethical government. MWEG is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We do, however, fully sustain the leaders and doctrines of the Church.
Image Source: Photo by Terry Tan De Hao on Unsplash
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