How horrendous is this massacre of 49 persons and the wounding of 54 others! This act of violence was born out of hate as well as terrorism. It’s both. Violence and hate must be stopped wherever and whenever it is expressed or threatened.
We pray and extend our heartfelt condolences to those whose lives have been irrevocably impacted by the mass shooting in Orlando. We pray for young people anywhere, who may be struggling with their sexual orientation and gender identity—who experience bullying and violence almost daily—who feel this trauma in unspoken and intense ways, and for this nation—that we may finally pass sensible gun control laws to remove military type weapons from our streets. God, hear our prayers.