lord have mercy

a year ago this week, we were in lake tahoe on vacation. i opened up facebook at some point and saw the news about dylan roof's horrific shooting in a charlestown, south carolina church, killing nine.

today, again on vacation in tahoe, i happened to check in on facebook and my feed was full of terrible news: of the mass shooting in orlando last night.

a year later another slaughter of lives.

i have a heavy heart tonight as i think of the families of those wounded and killed. grieving for the hate that leads some to kill. weary of the broken parts of our world.

most of you know that i come from the christian faith tradition, and to live and move in that faith means to believe that somehow and somewhere god is at work to bring healing in even the most devastating, ugliest places.

it also means to believe when it feels impossible to believe; our actions as human beings against each other, often in the name of god, cause so much damage and breakage.

but when impenetrable darkness surrounds as it does now-
in the massacre of 50 sacred human lives-
before any hope or goodness can be named
before god can be seen
there is a lament.

a deep and holy lament that cries out
why?
how long?
where are you?
how can this be?

many times when i've been at a loss for words 

or
when i don't understand
before i have the strength & wisdom to act
all i can do is pray
the ancient prayer
lord have mercy. 

lord have mercy.

hear our prayer.
move us to act for goodness, justice & mercy.
lord have mercy.