Someone Shot Up My Church Yesterday

I don't attend the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church. But I have been a Unitarian Universalist for many, many years now and I have to say, the incident yesterday has hit me really hard. I cannot imagine the feelings of those congregants today and honestly, am thankful that my family and my church has NOT experienced such horror. But even as I recognize that I can in no way understand their feelings this morning; it is also clear that I stand with them, reeling from the idea that anyone could possibly see our faith- mirrored through our lives & actions- as something so personally offensive that they feel the need to erase it's very existance. I may not be able to relate to the trauma of this momentary burst of violence...but I certainly feel the pain of realizing that he wanted us dead. Surely in this, I, like every UU around the world, stand with the Tenessee Valley congregation. Their pain, their grief, their sorrow is theirs and mine and every Unitarian Universalists. And likewise, the hatred directed at them belongs to all of us as well.

Thus, as a Unitarian Universalist, let me take a moment to speak out about Jim Adkisson, the man pulling the trigger whose stated objective was to kill as many people- people like me- as he could before the police took him down. Tennessee is a death penalty state, and as someone who is charged with first degree murder (so far), Mr. Adkisson is most likely going to be facing a capital trial. It is my hope that the prosecutor eventually assigned to his case would not pursue such a path in this case however. The Unitarian Universalist church stands opposed to capital punishment, and I believe that it would be wrong for the State of Tennessee to avenge the deaths of Linda Kraeger and Greg McKendry in a way that runs counter to everything they affirmed during their lives. Namely:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;

Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;

A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;

The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Mr. Adkisson, even as the perpetrator of this horrific act of terror is a person of worth, deserving of dignity. Making this statement, at such a time, after such a heinous act against my fellow Unitarian Universalists is NOT easy. It may even seem foolish or naive, but that fact is that we cannot embrace the light of Unitarian Universalism only when it is convenient or easy to do. We ALL have worth, or none do. And this statement must be consistantly true, even when we have been injured beyond all comprehension. Likewise, we must affirm that all persons are deserving of justice, equity and compassion- which in this case, I believe means a fair and fast trial for Mr. Adkisson, so that his victims may have the justice they deserve. Perhaps, after Mr. Adkissons inevitable incarceration, and after the Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry has worked with the TVUU members, they can engage in some form of Balanced & Restorative Justice program that would bring the offender and his victims together, to understand the nature of his actions, to demonstrate love even in the face of hatred & despair, to reconcile and to heal. Even now, the members of the TVUU church believe (as do all UUs, even after this) that we are all connected and that what happens to one impacts us all. This means that our faith calls us to reach our to our offender and to demonstrate our living creed, before our tears have yet dried. I affirm their stance as a liberal congregation of faith and healing and believe that, when their pain subsides (knowing it will never vanish completely) that they will extend a hand of compassion even to Mr. Adkisson and demonstrate to him a spirit of life that he was unable to see before.

And so today, I light a (virtual) candle of sorrow and of hope. Grief for my brothers and sisters in Tennessee. Anger at Mr. Adkisson, even as I understand how frightening and angry being unemployed for a long period of time can be; and hope for the future- hope that the TVUU can build from this tragedy and bring out of their fear and grief and rage a renewed spirit for social justice, peace and healing. May the light of our collective candles shine into the darkness of isolation, of incarceration, of anger and of pain, in order to serve as a beacon of forgiveness and compassion eminating from the chalice of the Tennessee Valley church.



Sure, that could happen, even on Death Row. But shouldn't we give the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist church as much time as possible with Mr. Adkisson? Say, the rest of his natural life?