Reprinted from the May 2015 Post Script of Church & Life.
The mass murders at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston SC on June 17, 2015 redefined how incredibly bad or misguided people can be. (A young man comes into a church, sits with people in the congregation and then murders nine wonderful people.) How can anyone be that poisoned by racism? Why do we allow such people to have guns? I was shocked, saddened, nearly sickened by the tragedy. Listening to the families’ forgiving words to the accused murderer at his bond hearing, I was amazed at their incredible faith and sincerity at a time of unspeakable heartbreak. Since then, I have learned something about the church and Denmark Vesey, co-founder of the church in 1818, and why he was named “Denmark.”
The mass murders at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston SC on June 17, 2015 redefined how incredibly bad or misguided people can be. (A young man comes into a church, sits with people in the congregation and then murders nine wonderful people.) How can anyone be that poisoned by racism? Why do we allow such people to have guns? I was shocked, saddened, nearly sickened by the tragedy. Listening to the families’ forgiving words to the accused murderer at his bond hearing, I was amazed at their incredible faith and sincerity at a time of unspeakable heartbreak. Since then, I have learned something about the church and Denmark Vesey, co-founder of the church in 1818, and why he was named “Denmark.”