A pastoral message from Bishop Cedrick following Sunday’s shooting at the Seattle Center
Lord, have mercy on us as we find ourselves in this space of grief once more.
At least three people are dead, four more are injured – including one toddler – as these words are typed. Another shooting. This one in Seattle, just blocks from our First United Methodist Church community.
A Sunday evening where folks were gathered to celebrate the diversity of God’s humanity through food and fun has now been shattered by another senseless act of gun violence.
I am saddened by this loss of life. I am also outraged by what gun violence does — not only to human bodies, but to families, communities, and our willingness to gather, celebrate, and enjoy one another.
Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those traumatized by Sunday’s shooting.
But I have to admit, as your bishop, I’m tired of writing these messages and I’m sure you’re tired of reading them. Words begin to feel hollow when they aren’t followed by action.
As United Methodists and followers of Christ we stand firm in our belief that violence is never the answer and that gun violence is an epidemic in this country. The only way this cycle can end is by addressing the policies and politics that continue to put our neighbors – toddlers – in harms way.
We must call upon elected officials, businesses, corporations, and community leaders to support policies and practices that reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods and public gathering places safer. Every one of us has the capacity to do the loud and quiet work this kind of advocacy requires.
Prayer cannot become a substitute for the difficult work of change. That work also comes closer to home.
Our faith teaches us that every person is of sacred worth and that we belong to one another. When one suffers, we all suffer. Therefore, we must continue to show up.
We must show up for those who have lost loved ones.
We must show up for those who are injured and traumatized.
We must show up for those who feel alone and without hope.
We must show up for those who do not yet know—or have forgotten—that their lives have meaning.
We are already living in a time when so much tempts us to withdraw and isolate ourselves. Violence of this magnitude can deepen that temptation. It can cause us to hide, become suspicious of one another, and retreat from the public spaces where community is formed.
We must not surrender our belonging to fear. We cannot allow hatred, violence, or fear to determine how we move through the world or dictate how we show up with and for one another. Our desire to gather and our need for human connection are too strong—and too sacred—to be stripped from us by anyone’s grievance, ideology, hatred, or violent impulse.
Jesus calls us to be in dialogue with one another, to see the face of God in each other so that we might work together to make the kin-dom of God real here on earth.
In moments like these, we find ourselves searching in the dark for scripture that can maybe help us make sense of what’s happened. There is no making “sense” here, but I take comfort in this week’s lectionary from Romans 8: 26 & 27
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes[a] with groanings too deep for words. 27 And God,[b] who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit[c] intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
May we continue to reach for and teach the bold love of Christ in all that we do, because together is the only way forward,
Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth
GNW Episcopal Area
Diane Mettam
Dear Cedric – I’m sure you don’t remember me. I’m the woman who so rudely disrupted your prayer with my wheelchair horn when you were at a meeting in Bishop, California. I still blush when I think about it.
I appreciate your messages, and your statement “Prayer cannot become a substitute for the difficult work of change. That work also comes closer to home.” struck a chord with me. I will carry it with me and remind myself and others that our prayer sword is double-edged: words and action.
Blessings – Pastor Diane
Linda Shepard
Thank you for your words, Bishop Cedrick. I miss hearing you speak in our conference. God bless you in the work you are doing for the church!
Linda Shepard
GGUMC
Larry Martin
Bishop Cedrick
Your words make me proud to be a United Methodist
Thanks so much
Larry Martin
Sumner UMC
M Crosby
The guns didn’t shoot and kill. The people holding the guns did. Do you think the 15 year old shooter bought his gun legally. Most people that buy guns legally are NOT out to shoot people”.
Elizabeth Hickey
With all due respect…It was a broken person who committed the violence. It could have been a knife, a hammer, an axe or fists. It is the personal relationship we have in Christ that begins our own journey. In we are in Christ, we are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. We are called to go out and be a witness…a disciple…an ambassador for Christ. It is all about a personal relationship with God and a personal relationship with another human. Transformation of the world requires us to be in a relationship with another person…perhaps a very broken person, a violent person. We share the Good News that we can do nothing, but God can.
Trudy Pollard
Thank you Bishop for you powerful words. How long oh Lord how will we have to endure this violence. How long?
Kenneth Carder
Thank you for this sensitive and compassionate pastoral word and prophetic challenge to enact policies and practices that reduce gun violence.
RICHARDSON,SHARON,L
I do not consider myself a Methodist. I have so much love for many in this congregation, and I hope to feel comfortable here for a long time. Just know that any reference to our president that is not positive I feel should not belong in our church service.
Don George
In that case, Sharon, I’ll not comment.