Saturday I sat in the hospital with a teen who was shot in the stomach.
Yesterday, 1 dead and 7 injured at a school shooting in Colorado.
An hour ago, while we ate dinner, shots were fired outside our home.

We held our breath until we heard the sirens.

I went outside to see if anybody needed help.
There is a mosque on the corner.

I’m beginning to believe that nothing will ever change.
Not until each of us has sat with a body bleeding out.
Not until we’ve held a child’s hand while they cry about how much it hurts.
Not until each one of us has lost somebody to this horrific violence.
Not until every one of us is shot, one way or another.

Today, my family was lucky. The shots didn’t enter our home.

There’s always tomorrow.

Holy and hurting spirit of life and love; continue to weep with our pain.
Holy and broken spirit of life and love; continue to companion us in our mourning.
Holy and powerless spirit of life and love; continue to whisper change to our hearts.
Maybe someday, we will listen. And learn. And understand. The way of life and love.

Amen.