Dear Friends,

On Monday, I had the privilege of presiding at the funeral of Virginia Spencer, the mother of George Born, a member of our parish. Although I had never met Mrs. Spencer, I benefitted greatly in preparing for the service by reading a memoir she had published several years ago. As with every human life, it was not without its challenges, and she knew both joys and disappointments.  Reflecting on her own life, in the last chapter she posed a question for herself, and no doubt, for the reader. The question was this:

“What does the giver of life want me to do with the gift?”

When we reflect on our own mortality, or the mortality of others, it is a question that resonates. It resonates for a woman who lived a long and fulfilling life. And it resonates  this week, as we respond to another senseless tragedy and see the suffering of the innocent.

Many of the victims of the slaughter in Orlando were so young, and were just beginning to answer that question for themselves. Quite a few were from Puerto Rico, and were beginning to build lives in a new community and in a new place where the future seemed bright. For so many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons, responding to the gift of life means nothing less than living honestly and openly, and not denying who we are. That is precisely what some of the victims were doing in that nightclub.

On that Sunday morning in Orlando, the gift was taken from too many. The gift was taken, not by God, but by a senseless act of evil. Amidst all the reactions of anger, despair, and fear, amidst all the questions that arise from such an atrocity,  I hope we will also hear the question that leads us to reflect on our own lives and the capacity we have to love.

What does the giver of life want us to do with the gift?

We may think that we have years or even decades to answer that question. Then we are reminded that the time we have to respond is this moment, and this day.

What does the giver of life want you to do with the gift?

Faithfully,

Tom