A Place to Grieve

With the tragic news of the shooting in Tumbler Ridge, I can’t help but reflect on the importance of ritual and the role that faith communities can plan in these sad and frightening times. Gathering in community and taking time to engage in rituals like a vigil, a prayer circle, lighting a candle, sending flowers and cards are so important because they deeply address human processes of mourning. Gathering and standing together in our grief helps us to remember, to express our grief, to be heard, to know that we are not alone, and to help the grieving find a way forward. Finding ways of expressing our feelings, and our thoughts is an important step when grieving. When we share these feelings and thoughts with others we strengthen social bonds. This provides us with a space to make sense of the loss. Some people find it helpful to create symbols of love, some find it helpful to tell stories of the people and what they meant to them. Expressing our grief through the various love languages is how we find the way to say goodbye, and express our love, gratitude and sorrow. 

I think that communities of faith have an important role to play in society, one that is unique because a faith community has the capacity to offer practical support, while also providing emotional, communal, and spiritual support. The church building provides shelter and a place for people to gather. Communities of faith are able to organize food distribution, clothing drives and emergency supplies when needed. The community of faith can mobilize volunteers quickly as these networks already exist, and we can also provide the structure for financial assistance. Sometimes what we provide most is language and ways to express our sadness and grief.

I would like to remind us that in moments like this, when we can’t seem to find the words, or we wish we could do more to take away the pain of the people who have lost loved ones, and the community grief that takes over the town, all we need to do is take the time to grieve. We are here to listen to the ones crying out and lamenting, we are here to surround and hold the community in compassion and love. We are not required to put on a brave face in these moments. The greatest gift we can give is sharing our feelings in an honest, open and vulnerable way. It is okay in these moments to feel angry, heartbroken, confused, or numb. These reactions are not signs of weakness, they are signs of love and the deep value that we place on every human life. 

I invite you to take a moment in prayer:

God of compassion and love, even in the midst of such darkness and tragedy, we hold onto one another. We hold the grieving families in our hearts. We hold the injured, the frightened, the teachers and staff, the first responders and the entire community that now carries this pain. No one should have to carry sorrow alone. And so we stand together surrounding those most affected with love and care. Help us to become people who protect one another, who listen deeply to one another, who notice those who are hurting, and who work together to build a world where children are safe, where kindness is stronger than hatred, and where hope is not lost even in the hardest of times. Be our light in the midst of darkness and pain and direct us on a path that leads to healing. Be with us now, we pray. Amen. 

Be safe, be open, and be the light of love and healing in this world. 

Rev. Karen