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There is No B'racha for a Gun: America’s Idolatry Problem
Reflecting on the horror of last week's Annunciation Church and School Shooting, this is the text of my Shabbat sermon on Parashat Shoftim.
“O God, if You would only slay the wicked—you murderers, away from me! — who invoke You for intrigue, Your enemies who swear by You falsely.”
These words come from Psalm 139 (v. 19-20), the Psalm which was recited at the beginning of Mass at the Annunciation Church in Minneapolis this Wednesday morning. Some 200 children and adults attended the service marking the beginning of the school year. As the prayer reached its conclusion and just before parishioners were to proclaim “Alleluia,” bullets rained in through the windows. Two children, 10-yr-old Harper Moyski and 8-yr-old Fletcher Merkel were murdered. Fifteen other children ages 6-15 and three adults in their 80’s were injured. My heart breaks for the Catholic community, for our friends at St. Ignatius and other parishes, for Minnesotans, for America once again to confront yet another massacre of children.
There are some horrifying but heartening tales. School buddies shielding one another including at least one who took a shotgun blast to his back while covering another child. Staff members scrambling to get young children under the pews, sometimes lying on top of them to protect them. Kids who didn’t understand what was happening at first, who thought for a moment flying shards of stained glass were confetti to celebrate the first week of school....
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By Rabbi Daniel Cotzin BurgReflecting on the horror of last week's Annunciation Church and School Shooting, this is the text of my Shabbat sermon on Parashat Shoftim.
“O God, if You would only slay the wicked—you murderers, away from me! — who invoke You for intrigue, Your enemies who swear by You falsely.”
These words come from Psalm 139 (v. 19-20), the Psalm which was recited at the beginning of Mass at the Annunciation Church in Minneapolis this Wednesday morning. Some 200 children and adults attended the service marking the beginning of the school year. As the prayer reached its conclusion and just before parishioners were to proclaim “Alleluia,” bullets rained in through the windows. Two children, 10-yr-old Harper Moyski and 8-yr-old Fletcher Merkel were murdered. Fifteen other children ages 6-15 and three adults in their 80’s were injured. My heart breaks for the Catholic community, for our friends at St. Ignatius and other parishes, for Minnesotans, for America once again to confront yet another massacre of children.
There are some horrifying but heartening tales. School buddies shielding one another including at least one who took a shotgun blast to his back while covering another child. Staff members scrambling to get young children under the pews, sometimes lying on top of them to protect them. Kids who didn’t understand what was happening at first, who thought for a moment flying shards of stained glass were confetti to celebrate the first week of school....
Get full access to The Urban Rabbi at www.theurbanrabbi.org/subscribe