A message from Pastor Chris after the Annunciation School shooting

Beloved Spirit of Peace community,

The past 24 hours since the shooting at Annunciation School and Church in South Minneapolis have brought many in our community to a particularly dark valley of the soul. There are no words to encapsulate such a tragedy, no analysis that will bring quick change to a world where such violence is simultaneously feared and tolerated.

As you, and your children, and all of the beloved young people in your lives go out into the world to learn and progress on their journeys, as your pastor I want to give you permission to feel everything that this time brings up in you. Find silence and space to breathe, and just feel.

Our sacred stories suggest that the Beloved Community we seek, and the universal safety and justice we yearn for, cannot be found or created by human action alone. But God waits for us here, in the dark valleys, ready to send Spirit to accompany us to higher ground.

May we feel our feelings, and as we do, may we feel the ground of God’s being supporting and nurturing us, especially in the darkest times.

I’m always available if you’d like to meet or talk.

Grace and Peace to you,

Pastor Chris