Nathan Stone, guest column: Commanded to love even him
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Senseless shootings stun us, anger us, sadden us. And then we forget.
But when one happens close to home, the whole matter requires more than a moment’s reflection.
For us at Waco’s Unitarian Universalist fellowship, it happened when two people were shot dead and six were wounded at a Unitarian Universalist fellowship last Sunday in Knoxville, Tenn.
A headline depicted in reports was, “Shooting suspect hated liberals.”
That was true, apparently. But it was only part of the equation based on the suspect’s own writings.
He was also unable to find a job. He had been told that his quota of food stamps would be reduced.
A less sensational headline would had been: “Churchgoers shot because man loses unemployment and food stamps.”
The shooter, Jim David Adkisson, apparently was filled with fear, hatred, despair. He was mentally unstable. Add a gun to that mix and people in a vulnerable, welcoming congregation became victims.
Actually that UU church was the very place for Jim to go if he needed food, nurturing, understanding, kindness, and maybe even a job referral. Too bad. He shot the hands that gladly would have fed and loved him.
Unitarian Universalists (www.uua.org) often are misunderstood and mischaracterized. We are champions of the down and out, the marginalized, the disenfranchised, the misunderstood.
Sadly ironic: We are a voice for the Jim Adkisson of this world.
We are for accessible and affordable care for the mentally ill. We are for keeping guns out of the hands of those who are unstable.
We are for liberty and justice for all. We are ardent believers in human rights.
In the sense that “liberal” means lavish and magnanimous love and a commitment to making this a better and more just world, that’s us. Indeed, UUs are radical in their — our — liberality.
I cannot and would not dare speak for all Unitarian Universalists. I do know that at the core of our faith we are devoted to the notion that in the end love will always win.
In the game of rock, paper and scissors, rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock.
A fist represents the rock. A fist is about power, domination, anger and hatred. The fist is a symbol of violence. Both the fist and the rock can cause serious pain and suffering. Jim Adkisson brought a fist to church last Sunday.
In that child’s game, if rock meets rock nobody wins. The game goes on.
But when paper meets rock — paper always wins. Just like love, paper wraps itself around violence and wins. Love wins because it is gentle and soft and can ultimately envelop anger and hatred.
Of course, love is a slow but deliberate process. But over time it can wear down the rock of violence, hatred, fear and despair.
Some would call that a soft and even silly idea — maybe childish — certainly liberal.
But in a UU congregation, love is our doctrine. Love is our only creed.
In addition to that radical love, Unitarian Universalists are principled people. Among our seven guiding principles, the first is, “We affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.”
That includes everyone. No exceptions. Including Jim David Adkisson.
With prayers for him, the dead, the injured, and those children scarred-for-life, we still affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person: our radical and liberal core principle.
Nathan Stone is minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Waco.
http://www.wacotrib.com/opin/content/news/opinion/stories/2008/08/03/08032008wacstone.html
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