One more time we publicly mourned gun violence in our country. As I prepared myself to participate in a vigil I wrote:
"Once again we stand on the side of Love with the victims of the shooting, with the families mourning their dead. We also stand on the side of Love with our Muslim kin and will not let one person's action define a whole group or religion. We stand on the side of Love because we refuse to give in to hate and fear...and we will not only stand but we will act in the name of Love  for all who are oppressed, for all who live in fear. We will act in Love for justice and to end easy access to weapons of mass destruction. We will act so that all may be free from harm, from bigotry, from hate. We will act so that Love may prevail."

This morning I had the privilege of being on a conference call with 400 clergy and faith leaders who are engaged in Standing Up for Racial Justice. As I understand it, just this week alone seven Black churches have been burned in seven days. This is an act of terror in our own country. As a people of faith we must stand up against targeted racial violence, and especially the burning of houses of worship. I am reaching out to our partners in San Diego, and specifically to Pastor White and the leadership of the Bethel AME Church in San Diego to gather information on what actions we can support with our presence. Now is the time to let our principles of dignity and worth, of justice, equity and compassion, of respect for the interdependent web of life of which we are a part, now is the time to let these principles guide us into actions that will challenge white supremacy and resist racism. We need to make ourselves available to our African American brothers and sisters and show up when they ask. Let us put our faith and principles into action so that San Diego can be a safe and just place for all to live and flourish. Please keep checking this blog for more specific actions and opportunities.