Milton Interfaith Clergy Association releases a response to the Florida shooting

Multiple communities come together in support

Our hearts break open, again, as seventeen more human lives are lost, thousands of families and one more community are torn asunder and forever changed by another heinous act of gun violence. The setting this time was a public high school in Parkland, Florida. The shooter was a former student armed with an assault-style rifle. Yes, we must weep, even if our eyes are shockingly dry, because this scourge of gun violence is killing us all. Yes, we weep with you.

Our mouths fall open, again, as we take in the images of so many lives, this time young and middle aged, flush and flourishing with promise, blasted away by another young life who, awash in our horrific, shared culture of violence, legally purchased a weapon manufactured for one purpose: killing other human beings. Yes, we must wail, even if our mouths utter sounds we do not recognize or no sounds at all, because we have seen this before and we cannot bear to see it again. Yes, we wail with you.

Our lives must open, now, and we must heed the call of countless survivors, bereft family members, and our many faith traditions, to redeem the soul of our nation by coming together with determination to stop this carnage. This is a public health crisis: on average, seven American children or teens are shot and killed every day.* Now is the time to act. We must now rend our hearts and join them together so that this rending of our national fabric may cease. We can and we must act together to prevent further gun violence. Yes, we must act, and we will act with you.

The Milton Interfaith Clergy Association is determined to facilitate and work with others in our community to organize a response, whether that be a rally, teach-in, or other event in Milton, with one goal in mind: to stop gun violence now. If you, or any organization you are a part of, are ready to act with us, please email us at: [email protected].

The Rev. Shelly Davis

President, Milton Interfaith Clergy Association
[email protected]
https://miltoninterfaith.wordpress.com/

*The average of the most recent five years of complete CDC data, reported in many places.

MICA’s Mission

The Milton Interfaith Clergy Association cares about the spiritual life of all people in Milton. We strive to increase interfaith understanding. We build partnerships and connections between diverse faith communities, faith leaders, civic leaders, and organizations, so that, together, we can better promote justice for all people. We gather the community to both bear witness to brokenness  and celebrate all that is sacred in our midst.