The heartbreak and horror are beyond most of our capacity for words. On Saturday a man with pistols and an AR-15 entered Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, opened fire and killed 11 people. Right here in our state, this was the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history. Law enforcement officials quoted the shooter as saying, “I just want to kill Jews.”

Earlier in the week a man walked into a grocery store in Kentucky and fatally shot two Black people, who were complete strangers to him. 15 minutes earlier this man had tried to enter an African-American church.

These heinous hate crimes shake us to the core of our souls. Many people are struggling to process the shock, anger, sadness and despair.

The Unitarian Society of Germantown will hold a Vigil of Mourning, Peace and Resolution tomorrow, Tuesday, October 30 at 5:30pm. We will create a safe space in our sanctuary for people to peacefully mourn and to consider pragmatic actions for stopping more violence.