Generosity in the Face of Grief - Again
Generosity in the Face of Grief - Again
No. No. No.
No one should have had a restful night’s sleep last night.
Merely a week after a mass shooting at a grocery store and a shooting at a church, another sanctuary of sorts – a classroom – has been struck by the carnage of gun violence. Nineteen children and two adults murdered in the small town of Uvalde, Texas.
Nearly ten years ago, I found myself writing about the massacre at Sandy Hook. How do you find generosity, even in the face of grief?
Today, I feel less hopeful than I did back then.
I’m heartbroken and angry. Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors NBA coach – whose father was shot to death in Lebanon in 1986 – said it all.
“When are we going to do something?”
Kerr went on to say,
“I’m tired. I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there. I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough. There’s 50 senators, right now, who refuse to vote on H.R. 8, which is a background check rule that the House passed [last year]. ... There’s a reason they won’t vote on it: to hold on to power.
Pray for Uvalde. Pray for Buffalo. Pray for Laguna Woods.
But act too.
In 2012, I wrote this about the Newtown shooting (links are updated):
In the wake of Newtown, we can become paralyzed by grief, or we can act.
How about sponsoring a child to honor the life of one of those first-grade students?
Become a mentor at your local school.
Become involved in banning assault weapons
Advocate for more funding for youth mental health
Do what you can to get kids out of poverty
[New to the list] Call your Senator and demand action on H.R. 8 which passed the House in March 2021, would close loopholes in gun purchases, requiring a background check for all gun sales.
Read Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings or listen to the Fresh Air interview with the author.
Empower yourselves to react in hope, even when you feel hopeless.
Friends, I admit that I feel hopeless today. I fear that our love for guns overpowers our love for neighbor.
So, I lament with U2’s mournful song based on Psalm 40:
I will sing, sing a new song.
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long will we need to sing songs of lamentation? How long, Lord?
And yet (sigh), as a person who believes that we are called to move beyond hopelessness, to act with conviction, I will also sing this song in the face of despair:
When I wake up in the morning
gonna walk in love
when the evening sun is falling
gonna walk in love
through the troubles of the day
gonna walk in love
or whatever comes my way
gonna walk in love
Brother or sister
let us walk in love
gonna walk in love
Singing hallelujah, we shall overcome
gonna walk in love
Walk in Love (Brady Toops)
Pray for Uvalde. Pray for Buffalo. Pray for Laguna Woods.
But act too.
And what might be hardest of all today and in the next few weeks, walk in love.
Let’s do this together.
Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a consultant in stewardship, development, and grant writing. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise over three million dollars for numerous non-profit organizations. For a little self-care she recommends that you watch these puppies howling. You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/inspiringgenerosity or at CesieScheuermann.com.
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