September 6, 2024
A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted, because they are no more. (Jeremiah 31:15)
In this haunting passage from the Book of Jeremiah, Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, embodies the traumas of her people, who have been broken by the tragedies of exile. This image of Rachel crying in unconsolable agony at the loss of the lives of children is used again in the Gospel of Matthew, in reference to Herod’s slaughter of the innocents in Bethlehem. Rachel brings front and center the reminder that with deep losses, easy platitudes are not helpful. They are not true compassion. They are not enough.
A voice is heard in Ramah... This passage runs through my mind every time there is another school shooting. Like all of you, I always feel a full range of emotions over these tragedies in our common life. Deep sorrow. Anger. Frustration. Helplessness. Wondering when this modern day slaughter of innocents will end. Though I believe in the power of prayer, the platitude of "thoughts and prayers" is not helpful, is not true compassion, and is not enough.
In case you didn't know, the Episcopal Church, like our siblings in the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Methodist Church, the UCC, the Unitarian Universalists, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Islamic Society of North America and many other mainstream religious groups, has taken a firm stand against gun violence. I don't know if there are any other issues that almost all mainline religious folks can agree on. Because A voice is heard in Ramah over and over again, and platitudes are not enough.
You can learn more about the work the Episcopal Church is doing toward ending gun violence in our country, and how you can support and join this work, right here. The Episcopal Church also supports a sub-group called Bishops United Against Gun Violence that, among other things, marches to draw attention and lobbies for sensible gun regulations. Our own Bishop Loya is a member of this group.
My prayer for all of us this week is that our swords may be beat into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks (Isaiah) and that we might take the words from James 2:18 seriously: Someone might claim, “You have faith and I have action.” But how can I see your faith apart from your actions? Instead, I’ll show you my faith by putting it into practice in faithful action. God's people are in distress and the power to end their cries is in our hands. I pray for us all, this week, to somehow, with God's help, rise to this responsibility.