Members of various denominations gathered Tuesday night at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, for an evening of prayer in solidarity with the victims, families and communities affected by the Orlando shooting.
John Wilkinson, Pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church said at a time like this, an ecumenical service made the most sense.
“I think we all see the city as our parish. And that at a time like this kind of denominational labels and geographical boundaries don’t mean very much.”
Wilkinson says In the face of tragedy, the impulse for people of faith is to come together to pray and worship. But he hopes these gatherings will also lead to some sort of action, “And then I hope that, that impulse leads our prayer into some form of action. Whether it’s on violence in our community, or how people are discriminated against.”
As people begin to process these events and decide how to move forward, Prince Singh, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, says vulnerability could be an asset.
“The more vulnerable we are, the more courageous we are in risking crossing boundaries and meeting others who otherwise are stereotypically put in a box.”
Stephen Cady, Senior Minister of the Asbury First United Methodist Church agreed, and added that we can foster conversations and create safe, open spaces for those who may feel lost.
“What’s clear as we're learning of the details is that this was a person who was looking for meaning, and belonging and radical hospitality. We have places that people can come to that do not hurt others.”
