Violent Delights Have Violent Ends

Dear Minooka UMC Found Family,

“These violent delights have violent ends.” 
—William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 6

‘These violent delights have violent ends.’ That line keeps echoing in my head this week. 

Our hearts are broken once again by yet another school shooting. This time in Jefferson County, Colorado—the same county as the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.

Our country is racked by politically motivated violence: Charlie Kirk’s murder; the plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer; the storming of the Capitol; the attack on Paul Pelosi; the assassination attempts against Donald Trump; the arson attack against Josh Shapiro; the shooting of John Hoffman and the assassination of Melissa Hortman.

What should we do? I’m tempted to simply rerun last week’s letter. 

As prevalent as gun violence is, we seem to have perfected a veritable plethora of ways to create violence: 
Violent rhetoric; weapons; dehumanizing groups of people; self-serving elected officials; distrust and disinformation; cynicism; careless legislation; heartless policy; disenfranchising people groups; fear, hopelessness and isolation…all create violence
(Adapted from a social media post by Nathan Ryan)

But, again, what should we do??

I’m reminded of kind words of the great Henri Nouwen, “Even though not all of us are revolutionaries, we can be peacemakers by doing small deeds of peace every day.”

Deeds for peace: 
Compassion and empathy; good policy; a just country; being heard; restitution; reconciliation; community; diverse viewpoints and interconnected cultures; acknowledging the world as it actually is; communal prosperity; access to education, food, and medicine…all lead to peace.
(Adapted from a social media post by Nathan Ryan)

What should we do? Pray with Bishop Desmond Tutu: 
“We are made for goodness, we are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness. We are made to tell the world that there are no outsiders. All are welcome: black, white, red, yellow, rich, poor, educated, not educated, male, female, non-binary, gay, straight, transgender, cisgender, all, all, all. We all belong to this family, this human family, God’s family.” Amen. 

What should we do? Celebrate God’s inclusive love.  
That’s why next Saturday, September 20th, Minooka UMC will have a table at the Joliet PrideFest telling people about our wonderful welcoming and affirming congregation. 

Plotting Goodness,
Pastor Dave