This week’s Sunday bulletin contained a letter from our Pastor that addressed our community in response to a local school shooting. A high school student shot a 15-year old classmate in the bathroom while the halls and classes were filled with students and teachers.
It’s hard to comprehend that level of violence. Both the desire and the ability to kill another human being effected so close to so many other children who walked those halls. Luckily, this child survived.
The Pastor’s letter goes on to ask each of us to question our own roles in creating a society where violence flourishes and quoted the Jesuit priest Father Greg Boyle, S.J.:
“We’ve mistaken moral outrage for moral compass. Moral compass helps you see with clarity how complex and damaged people are. It is the whole language. Moral outrage just increases the volume and the distance that separates us. I suppose if I thought that moral outrage worked, I’d be out raging. But rage just means we don’t understand yet.”
We’ve mistaken moral outrage for moral compass.
That’s a mistake I admit I have made all too often over the last few years.
I’ve allowed political beliefs to dictate my compassion.
I’ve allowed an opinion or vote to determine another’s dignity.
I’ve allowed my rage to drown out calls for help.
I need to — we need to — turn down the volume. Turn off the rage.
So I can hear you.
So I can see you.
So I can love you.
Anyone find the DJ?
