Praying for Orlando

In word association games, you blurt out the first word that comes to mind when you hear the key word. Up until Sunday, I would bet that most people would have said “Disney World” or “Fun” when asked what word came to mind when you hear “Orlando.” Life changed on Sunday. Now it is the site of a horrific massacre, and Orlando is on all our hearts as a great tragedy.

I have struggled with what to say. Every other topic seems trivial. So let’s talk about it. The LGBT community was targeted in a place they considered a safe haven. The stories coming out of Orlando are about real people who were gunned down or whose lives have been turned upside down by loss of their loved ones. Thanks to the stories in the papers and on social media, the gay community is now being given faces and names, allowing us to meet them as real people. Let us hope that we will see more tolerance and acceptance of people’s differences.

No one can deny that politics has a part to play in this story. It is time for politicians to hear from us (their constituents) that we are tired of the stalemate in Congress. It is time for change – real change. I saw a meme on Facebook – Pray for America. The “Pray” was crossed out and “Policy Change” was inserted. Why do we have to choose? I suggest we all take time to pray. Find out what we can do to make change. And then insist that our politicians follow through. If they are representing us, it is time to let them know what we want them to do. Or we need to find someone else to provide the leadership we so desperately need.

I am always taken aback by the hate expressed by people online. Hate has never fueled positive change. America is built on the idea that we can be different -- and that it is ok to disagree. Jimmy Fallon did a fantastic job putting this together in his monologue on Monday night. Check it out…

Let’s have the courage to love, not hate.

Blessings,
Barb