By Rev. Dr. Dawn Darwin Weaks
Pastor, Connection Christian Church
So much of our human experience is remembering. The Bible uses the word “remember” almost synonymously with the word “faith.” We are told to remember over and over again. Especially when Christians gather around the communion table, we do it to remember both the tragedy and triumph of Jesus’ death. It is a moment in worship when lament and remember that God can redeem even our most awful experiences. Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel puts it this way, “After all, God is God because He remembers.”
This month, our community remembers tremendous suffering from the mass shooting here on August 31, 2019. Though it is painful to remember, it is also healing to join in solidarity and shared comfort. When we acknowledge our sorrows with others, we may discover that God is with us, though God may not look like what we expected. God may look like Jesus who while being executed on the cross cries out, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”
God may look like friends who never leave our side. God may look like a mother who mourns fiercely. God may look like a community gathering to carry each other through to better days. God may look like love that never lets go, even when it’s been to hell and back. God may look like light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome the light.
As we acknowledge the 5th anniversary of August 31, the community is invited to the dedication of the Bright Star Memorial at the University of Texas- Permian Basin. This sculpture and surrounding park will stand as a memorial to all we have lost and as a testimony to the loving resilience of our community. We will have a brief sunset service to dedicate the memorial on Thursday, August 29th at 8 p.m. Please wear yellow and park at the sports fields off of Loop 338. I hope you will take time to remember, to care, to heal, and to discover that God is with us.
