Our hearts are deeply saddened by the devastating news from San Diego. We mourn with you in the wake of this horrific violence at the Islamic Center of San Diego and the increasing Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred leading to fear that so many in your community continue to endure.
There is something especially heartbreaking when a sacred space—a place of prayer, peace, and belonging—is violated by violence. Faith communities should be places of refuge, not fear. It makes it even worse after learning about the three victims and their selfless sacrifice. They and their families are in our prayers.
Please know that you are not alone. We stand with you in grief, in outrage, and in love. We are weary of lives being lost to hatred. We are weary of the cruelty and division that continue to wound our communities. We are weary that people fail to see the full humanity and sacred worth in one another.
But even in this sorrow, we recommit ourselves to something greater. We will continue to choose love over fear, compassion over division, and peace over violence. We will continue to speak out against hatred in all its forms and work toward a community where everyone is safe, valued, and deeply welcomed.
You are beloved in this community, and we are grateful for your presence, your engagement, your contributions, your faith, your leadership, and the many ways you enrich our shared human family.
We know that violence and hatred affect us all. Our bodies, hearts, and spirits remember pain. They remember fear. They remember loss. And because of this, we cannot become numb or silent.
Today, we declare love, healing, courage, and a reckoning of the heart—a call to boldly love, boldly welcome, and boldly show kindness to one another.
May peace surround you. May comfort hold you. May love guide us all.
In prayer and solidarity,
Amen