6.17.16 And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love

"...We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger
We rise and fall and light from dying embers
Remembrances that hope and love lasts long
And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love
Cannot be killed or swept aside,
I sing Vanessa’s symphony, Eliza tells her storyNow fill the world with music love and pride"(excerpt from Lin-Manuel Miranda's acceptance speech at the Tony Awards)

The tragedy that happened in Orlando shook us and left us heartbroken.  Normally, I speak only for myself, but in this case, I feel confident that thousands, hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of people are feeling the same way.  

It feels so strange, because I (naively and foolishly) thought that "this issue" was in the past.  We had moved on from hating gay people, at least in our country.  We had entered a new era of truly accepting people for who they are and not judging them because they are different.  The tragic murder of 49 innocent human beings proved to me how wrong I was.

My heart is broken and I have been catapulted into a truth that I do not want to accept, and yet I must.  There is hatred.  There is deep hatred.  Bothers and sisters are not safe. What does it take to bring the world to a time when EVERY ONE lives with dignity and safety, care and respect?  What has to happen in order for hatred and violence to become part of history and remain there?  What can we do?  What must we do to honor the memory of the 49 innocent human beings who were murdered?

On Rosh Hashanah, nearly 10 months ago, I prayed the words of Rabbi Akiva; "Rabbi Akiva said; love your other the way you (should) love yourself.  That's all that matters."  This became my teaching, my prayer for this entire year.  It has never felt more important than it does now.  

We cannot remain heartbroken because then we will be paralyzed and that would not be helpful to anyone.  We must soften our heartbreak by choosing to love the other.  We can choose to respond to this hatred and to this violence with love, love for every one.  That is all that matters.

Mekor Ha'Chayiim, Source of Life, Source of Breath, as we enter into Shabbat we are more aware of the fact that we are blessed to have breath.  We are more aware of our gratitude to be in life.  Let us use this awareness to strengthen our commitment to choose to love every one.  Let us see the presence of something holy in the face of every other. Let us leave judgement aside. Let us lead with love.                                                        

May the memory of those who were murdered be a reminder that as long as we have breath, as long as we have life, we can choose love.  We will choose love.

"...And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love..."

Shabbat shalom u'mevorach,                                                                                  

Laurie

May their memory be forever a blessing through the lives we live.

Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old

Amanda Alvear, 25 years old

Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old

Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33 years old

Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old

Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old

Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28 years old

Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25 years old

Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old

Cory James Connell, 21 years old

Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old

Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old

Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old

Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old

Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old

Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old

Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old

Frank Hernandez, 27 years old

Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old

Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old

Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old

Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old

Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25 years old

Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old

Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49 years old

Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old

Kimberly Morris, 37 years old

Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old

Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25 years old

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old

Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old

Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old

Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old

Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27 years old

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old

Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24 years old

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old

Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old

Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old

Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 years old

Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old

Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old

Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old