Dean Randy Hollerith on the Deadly Calif. Synagogue Shooting

WASHINGTON — The following is a statement from the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of Washington National Cathedral, following a deadly shooting at Congregation Chabad in Powoy, Calif.:

Another house of worship. Another deadly attack. Another candle lit for the dead and wounded.

Whether with Christians gathered for Easter in Sri Lanka, or Jews gathered for Passover in Powoy, Calif., or Muslims at prayer in Christchurch, New Zealand, our cry goes up with the Psalmist: “How long, O Lord?”

How long, O Lord, will our churches, synagogues and mosques be the site of terror, violence and hatred?

How long, O Lord, will we stay blinded to the humanity in our brothers and sisters?

How long, O Lord, must we wait until we are freed from the web of violence ensnaring our streets, our homes, our holy places?

Together with people of faith and goodwill from across God’s good earth, Washington National Cathedral prays for the souls of all victims of the senseless violence seizing our world. We give thanks for the bravery and selflessness of first-responders, and we seek God’s grace and healing for the survivors. We pray that the God of love will soften the hearts of those who are caught in the perverted delusion of violence and hate.

Together with the people of Congregation Chabad in California, we pray for an end to resurgence of anti-Semitism that has resulted in yet more bloodshed. The same strain of blind hatred results in violence against Christians and death against Muslims. Racial, religious and ideological supremacy knows no borders and respects no sacred space.

We pray for the day when all of humanity is able to lay down our weapons of war, our prejudices, our enmity and strife. We pray that the Spirit of God that moved upon the waters at the moment of Creation would move now upon our hearts, and bring forth a new spirit of compassion and free us from the bonds of division.

And while we await the movement of God in the hearts of all of humanity, we commit ourselves anew to the work of justice, understanding and nonviolence. The children of Abraham are the sons and daughters of one God, citizens of one planet, knit together in one beautiful and seamless tapestry of humanity. May our sorrow unite us to become the people God longs for us to be.

CONTACT: Meredith MacKenzie, West End Strategy Team • (202) 776-7703 • cathedral@westendstrategy.com