6.12.16: I woke up to an article with this headliner: "50 killed in mass shooting."
It went on to explain the situation: man shoots many other men, brother to brother betrayal, an act of hate.
The rest of the day a deep sense of helplessness welled up in the pit of my stomach; my heart was continuously grieving for the victims. It led me to think about what an act of love truly looks like.
An act of love is reaching out to the people in your life and never letting them fall. Love is accepting any beautiful shade of flesh. Love is attempting to empathize with people outside of your culture. Love is breaking a language barrier. Encouraging freedom of religion. Teaching somebody a skill that will significantly improve their life. Praying to God that He will heal what is beyond our repair. Donating blood for those who are holding on to their final heartbeats. An act of love is breaking down every wall that separates us as humans. A person pursuing love makes a conscious effort everyday to appreciate the breaths we are given, the sights we see, the failures and successes we experience, and the people around us.
To read more about the Savannah vigil click here.
Look around and see that no matter what skin color, no matter what religion, no matter what age, we are all human. The ever present danger in the world fosters fear. Fear looks for somebody to blame. Protests lead to more hate. Facebook statuses focus negative attention on particular laws. But acts of love heal and mend what is broken; therefore, love is the most important thing we can hang on to. We are human, designed to love one another under any circumstance.
Pulse Victims: I want to emphasize that you haven't done anything that would make you deserve such a "punishment." Your lively spirits will always contribute to the zealous attitude of your fellow peers in the LGBT community. You are loved by many and your strength goes beyond words. You are supported; we grieve with you. Every ounce of my being commends you for being at Pulse and having the courage to publicly identify with your sexuality. You are beautiful in every way whether your heart is at rest or if it continues to beat. We love you, we are there for you, and we will continue to fight with you.