Julie writes at RevGals:
Previously when composing a FF in the wake of a disaster or outrage there has been a tendency to try to find something uplifting, or light, or amusing to break the mood.
But this week, I am struggling to do this; so many of my friends have been directly affected; some have decided to leave social media behind for a while; others have felt forced to remove and block; others have written with great passion and sensitivity; others still have simply posted that they have no words. I was (almost) one of those, in that I have no words, but did not even want to tell the world that I had no words.
On Monday my prayer echoed words spoken by Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Love is, love is, love is…. LOVE” and also those spoken by Martin Luther King, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness”
Other quotes which have come to mind, and brought a little (a very little) comfort or insight included, the serenity prayer by Reinhold Neibhur; and our own Martha Spong, who wrote “When you read an op-ed or blog post about the mass shooting at Pulse, a gay club in Orlando, on Latin Night, during Pride, and the prayer or post or essay fails to mention LGBTQ people or People of Color, please don’t share it. I implore you: do not erase the people who lost their lives.”
And I feared that by not being explicit enough I had done exactly that in my Monday prayer…
So for today, let our Friday Five, echo love and inform and encourage each other.
What five quotes, or memes, or friend’s posts, or actions by others have helped, informed, encouraged, or comforted you this week?
This terrible, awe-ful, week that has impacted more on the LGBT community than any other.
1. I attended a vigil at the local university last night. It was beautifully done and during the open mic time several courageous, beautiful people came up and shared from their hearts, including one of our Muslim students. What a gift.
2. This statement from RevGalBlogPals.
3. As an ally, being asked to describe my first gay friend ("the person who showed you the glitter") and my first gay nightclub experience. My college boyfriend was that first friend (that I knew of...I had lots of gay friends in high school who were not out to me). He is a joy and we got together recently after 20 years. It was like we'd never been apart. The nightclub was in College Station, Texas, in the mid 1980's. A very scary time to be gay, and a very scary place for it. The club was entirely nondescript on the outside, no sign, no name that I ever knew of. We were fearful going there. But once we got inside, it was an explosion of joy and energy and life.
4. The story about the shooting victim who held another victim on top of him to stanch his bleeding on the way to the hospital, and offered to pray with him.
5. And the filibuster in the U.S. Senate. Finally, finally, someone is doing something about gun control.
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