In response to the violence in Knoxville, TN
Dear members and friends of Second Unitarian Church,
By now, you have probably heard about the shooting that happened over the weekend at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, TN. It resulted in the death of a TVUUC member and that of a member of Westside Unitarian Universalist Church (located in Farragut, Tennessee) who was visiting TVUUC for the performance of a youth play. Seven adults were also injured but no children were harmed during the melee. The gunman was tackled by congregants and eventually taken into police custody.
We share our love and concern with the congregants, their families, and friends. We pray for our sisters and brothers, as they begin to recover from this act. We especially remember Greg McKendry, who died as he blocked the shooter, and Linda Kraeger, who died from her injuries. We place our trust in the Spirit of Life that unites us as one human family, and sustains us through the good and bad.
It is moments like these that challenge our liberal faith. We face our fears, our anger, and our distress. How can we deal with someone who wants to harm us because of our views? How do we handle such intolerance? Jesus laid down a challenging call when he asked his disciples to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors.
Our Unitarian Universalist values demand the same radical love. One of our challenges today is to resist the urge to react out of fear. Today, more than ever, our faith calls us to a love that embraces all people and to acts of compassion and justice that unite us.
We continue to welcome everyone to be part of our community. We must affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all people even as we hold them accountable for hateful acts. We strive to be radically inclusive, knowing that the only way we can overcome fear and hatred is to reach out to those we do not understand and those who do not understand us.
We are concerned about the well-being of the Knoxville congregants. This coming Sunday we will gather after worship to write letters of support and invite anyone who can to include monetary gifts of support as well. (If you are unable to come on Sunday, we have included the information below.)
The Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA) in collaboration with the Thomas Jefferson District has established the Knoxville Relief Fund to bring ministry, spiritual care, and practical financial assistance to those affected by the tragedy in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Your gifts will assist the Tennessee Valley UU Church and the Westside Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and their members, and will show them that they are not alone during this time of shock and grief. Make an online, credit card donation through the UUA’s secure website to the Knoxville Relief Fund . Send checks payable to the “Knoxville Relief Fund”, c/o Tom Klein to:
Unitarian Universalist Association
Stewardship and Development, 6th Floor
25 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
For more information contact giftinfo@uua.org.
The Unitarian Universalist Association president the Rev. William G. Sinkford has issued a pastoral statement in response to the incident: http://www.uua.org/news/newssubmissions/117154.shtml .
Lastly, we are concerned about the safety of our own church. We are conducting a preliminary Disaster Preparedness review of our church this week, and updating our Emergency Procedures. Over the next weeks and months we will continue to review our policies, including seeking professional outside assistance.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call us at the church so we could meet with you for pastoral care.
How to talk to our children about violence
We are concerned about our children. We have no way of knowing how pervasive the news coverage will be or what they might overhear. How will they cope if they hear about this event? They may hear about the news from friends, or relatives, or on the TV. Bad things aren’t supposed to happen at church. Our children need our reassurance and support.
The Unitarian Universalist Association has a Trauma Response Ministry with free resources. In brief, there are 6 basic recommendations: offer reassurance through physical contact, maintain structure, respond to children’s interest in talking about the disaster, offer experiences that help children release tension, watch for changes in behavior, and take care of yourself.
For more details, please consider reading the two articles under the section “Working with Children:” http://www.traumaministry.org/resources.htm . They provide sound guidance in talking about such incidents to your children in an age-appropriate manner. Additional information is also available at the National Association for the Education of Young Children http://www.naeyc.org/families/disaster.asp .
In faith and fellowship,
Rev. Rudra Dundzila
Summer Minister of Faith Development
Lisa Todd
Membership Coordinator
Second Unitarian Church