“Amen”

Peace, in the rictus grimace of violence.
Peace, in the silence after a gunshot.
Peace, once the tears have stopped.
Peace, after the mourning and into the grief.
Peace, that can come only from hope.
Peace.

Thank you j. I think they will have a hard time in that place for a long time but most will get over it.

“We are untied as a community, saying `the sun will come out tomorrow,’”
Wise words. Whenever one is confronted with a horror of this magnitude it’s wise to sooth the mind and spirit with lyrics from “Annie” (I suppose a medley from “Annie Get Your Gun” would have been truly distastful).

Beautifully said, jestrfyl.

OK, sometimes my dark side just needs to pipe in now and then.
The quote says they are “untied as a community”. I expect in these days they may feel more untied even as they are united. As one who serves the Untied Church of Christ, I appreciate the way a typo can be ever more descriptive than the intended word.
Sinsonte,
I suppose there are no lyrics from SPAMalot that would help all that much either.

jestrfyl,
My point was that of all the sacred music they could have chosen from: Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, etc. — they’re Unitarians, after all; their choice of “Annie” is more comic than solemn and unbefitting the self-sacrifice of the usher who was killed.

sinsonte,
I am very greatful that this is not a video feed. Otherwise you would see my struggling with the keys, my tongue planted firmly in cheek – not a pleasant image. Anyway, as light and bumpy as “Tomorrow” is, I think it would be even less appropriate for them to sing ()from SPAMalot, though originally from Life of Brian)”Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”.

“The sun will come out tomorrow”, is a song of hope for a new tomorrow. It was appropriate because that is what was worked for by the adults, and the children of the Unitarian Church. It was being played when the usher and lovely lady were killed by a lunatic. Unity, Unity, Unity, that is what all the faiths, or no faiths are of the people who gather together in all Unitarian Churches. They share a little of this and a little of that, and a lot of love and comraderie. Other churches, and people could learn a lot from them.

Sinsonte,
You can be assured that additional hymns and songs were included in the rededication ceremony. There is plenty of coverage on the aftermath of this shooting in the mainstream press that would give you the information you’ve missed.
Also, the UUA site (uua.org) offers helpful information about Unitarian Universalism that goes far beyond what Henrietta22 shared.
Pagansister and Jestrfyl, thank you for your blessings.

I think “Tomorrow” is perfectly appropriate. An elderly relative of mine passed away a few years ago. He was a devout evangelical Christian; there were countless choices of hymns he might have selected to be played at his funeral. So what did he ask for? “Over the Rainbow.” When it began, I found myself stifling a giggle…but after the first few lines I realized how utterly perfect that song was for someone contemplating the next phase of their soul’s existence.
Music can bring so many things and people together. Listen before you go and knock it.

Welcome, OregonUU. Come back. I married a life long UU and raised our kids in UU churches!

The secular contaxt for many songs is easily lost as the songs themselves gain their own power. Proof in point? The very song I mentioned, “Alwys Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Pythons “Life of Brian”, and then integrated into “SPAMalot” has been listed amopng the 10 most requested songs for funerals and memorial services. When a significant character (Mark Green) died on ER they used the version of “Over the Rainbow” as sung by the (XXL) Hawaiian Iz (who himself died shortly after – from heart disease as a result of his size – a huge man with a high voice). Songs from many shows have become spiritually significant in our culture. But then, many of our revered Christmas Carols started out as drinking songs from the inns and pubs.
Dark Side, here – I wonder why the anti-abortion groups have not then adopted the Monty Python song “Every Sperm is Sacred”. I want to see all those nuns and cardinals dance as they did in Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life”. From that same movie, we here in FL have experienced the same piracy by insurance companies that opened “Meaning of Life”.

My prayers go out to the victims and their families and the whole Unitarian Church Community who have for so long stood against hate crimes only to fall victim themselves. I recall how the Unitarian Church stood with American Muslims when they were subjected to hate crimes after 9-11. You are in our prayers, may the Almighty bless you and the victims. This rightwing terrorist was perfectly sane but filled with hatred for liberals who championed human rights and opposed the Bush administrations war of terror. In his room were found three anti-liberal tracts by Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage. The Unitarian Church members were only the latest victims of an orchestrated hate campaign led by FOX News and similar outlets. When will we have an open denunciation of the hate mongering media outlets and their corporate sponsors who have made such bigotry “mainstream” in America today. Imagine if the shooter had been an American Muslim or Hispanic with books by anti-conservative writers-there would be a media fest about the terrorist danger and indoctrination overwhelming America. We learn much about our country not only from this hate crime but by the fact that there is not a broader outcry when the terrorist is, as is often the case, a white rightwing Evangelical/nationalist male.
Sincerely,
Mujeeb R. Khan
Dept. of Political Science
The University of California-Berkeley

Mujeeb you make excellent points. I hope you check back here at times.

Thank you for posting, Mujeeb. Like nnmns, hope you will post again.

My Sister’s friend went to Unitarian Universalist and I went to Unity
Church across the street with my Parents somewhile back before 1991.
The Unity Experience is very comforting and heart enlightening. My
Nieces and Nephew loved the Church, also.