At Smoky Hill United Methodist Church, we are a community. And in that community, we find safety and comfort. Sadly, our world does not enjoy that safety and comfort. We see the mass shooting of black shoppers at a Buffalo grocery store, we see innocent little kids killed on the last day of school, a time that should be full of joy, and we see patients in a hospital killed were they should be safe to be made better. All of this is based on one thing. Hate. The hatred of “others” is a cancer in our society, and we cannot and will not accept that. The Smoky Hill United Methodist Church and the Racial Justice Task Force issue this statement: We will do everything we can to serve as a beacon of love in our community. We welcome all and we work to take our safety and comfort into the world and share it with others. We stand with the victims and their families and while we do offer our solemn prayers and heartfelt wishes, that is not enough. We vow to be a force for change and for equality in our community and challenge all our members to get involved and help to do something in the face of these tragedies. We can stop hate from killing our world, but it will take everyone. Let’s start today!
God bless. SHUMC Racial Justice Task Force.