Emanuel AME, Charleston, SC

We were in Beaufort, SC when the tragic shooting occurred in the Emanuel AME Church of Charleston. The next day we came upon a candlelight gathering at the waterfront in Beaufort. People were gathered together, saying words of healing, words of unity, words of love and forgiveness.

We continued our journey to Charleston and arrived on the evening of June 21st, Father’s Day. The church had opened its doors again that day, having a service for healing.

The message spoken that morning was based on Psalm 46.

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
He lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
He burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

There were signs and banners posted on buildings and churches all over Charleston as people declared their solidarity with Emanuel AME congregants, family members, and all the pain that ricocheted into the community from the tragedy. The church itself became an altar for the community to come, grieve, honor the lives that were lost and receive healing and forgiveness.

USA Today

Part of me feels so angry and impatient. How long is it going to take for this to change? When will we learn? When will we have acceptance of people who differ in their beliefs, ethnicity, race?  Slavery ended 150 years ago, but it took another 100 years for the civil rights revolution, and we are still in that revolution today.  We still have so much healing to do, and each time a racially based tragedy occurs it seems the wound reopens and we have to start all over.

How do I explain this to my children, who have no understanding of racial prejudice and the history of the evils that one person is capable of inflicting on another?

As Fred Rogers said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ ”

So  I let them see the good that comes in response to tragedy; to see how people can come together in love, support, and unity.  We joined the candlelight vigil in Beaufort and listened to the speakers.  We celebrated the expressions of unity on the churches and storefronts in Charleston.

And I allow them to see me cry, to see my heart break, for my heart breaks for those families. I hurt for that church community, for the city of Charleston, and for us all who lost these 9 beautiful lives. I hurt for the little girls of that pastor, who will now grow up without a father.  I hurt for the 3 people who were there to witness this evil firsthand. I hurt for the church groups who no longer feel safe to come together and worship with open hearts and unlocked doors.  I hurt for those who feel discouraged by a lack of progress, who are marginalized by society, and for those who only see hate and difference instead of love and unity. I allow my tears to flow unchecked; for it is through our sorrow that we are able to feel compassion, and it is through our love that we are able to overcome evil.