Reflections on the #OrlandoShooting

On June 12, 2016, at 2am Sunday morning, Omar Mateen walked into Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida and started shooting. When he finished 50 people were dead and 53 injured. Here at R3, we are collecting some reflections of this horrific massacre. If you would like to share, please email us at rhetoricraceandreligion@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Twitter at @examinereligion and Facebook

Today, I was unceremoniously told (again) that I am not a minister of the gospel because I DO NOT agree that “although the Orlando massacre was sad, it is the price to pay for a sinful life”.
Because if GOD was still killing folk because of the human perception of sin, not only should we consider the work of Christ incomplete and of no effect, I would have been dead long ago. And so would you. And no, I don’t know who is reading this. That’s my point.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Mourn with those who mourn.
If you can’t do those, consider the ministry of silence.
Selah.-Max View

I can’t do any more hashtags about mass shootings. I can’t begin to process Orlando. Last night, I watched people who profess to live God and live out the Gospel post queer-antagonistic and homophobic rhetoric about whether God loves black gay men in the church. Folks across the LGBTQ spectrum and allies attempted to express how their language and unwillingness to consider inclusion as God’s work was violent. Now I wake up to the Orlando Pulse shooting. If your church calls this and act of judgment or divine punishment and you shrug it off or amen it, you are part of the problem and help load the gun. If you can’t be bothered to mention queer bodies or experiences except when you name it sinful, you help load the clips. Gun control is a serious issue. But until we deal with the devaluing of life for all people, we can’t get reform. I pray for the victims. I pray for the families. I pray for the LGBTQ community as they process and assess the remaining pride celebrations across the country. Finally, I pray for the Church. I pray we have the courage to embrace how we helped to pull the trigger last night.-Indhira Udofia

I have no words, only tears in my eyes and heaviness in my heart. It’s way past time to live beyond words, but talk if you must AND act/do/live/serve in love because transformation ain’t coming on its own. As relentless as ignorance & evil is, we must be, too, asking God to go before us as we WORK to dismantle hateful systems that cause 50 deaths and 53 injuries anywhere in this damn world. If you feel like you can’t change the world, start one person at at time ~ stop perpetuating hate, stop creating division, stop thinking you & yours are all that matters, have active, “good Samaritan” love for your neighbor, stop ending your help at a prayer, get involved, hell, speak up & show up unless you’re looking forward to the day where tragedy comes to you……sigh…….I thought I didn’t have any words, but I guess I did…and I don’t claim to have all the answers but I do know that doing nothing ain’t one of ’em.-Tekeima Shontelle

I preached today about “A Heart for God.” A Heart for God does not lead one to perpetrate the kind of hatred-fueled violence that occurred earlier today in Orlando. A Heart for God will lead those of us who claim to be Christians to speak out against discrimination and bigotry wherever it may be. A Heart for God means that we should not only love each other, but that we should love each other as we love ourselves. One thing we all have in common, regardless of sexual orientation: God made us all, in God’s image.
Do you have a Heart for God?-Dave Louis Adams Sr

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