Wear Orange Sunday

by the Rev. Jeff Goldone, Interim Priest

This coming Sunday, June 1, we will recognize Gun Safety Awareness in our Diocese. Our Sunday liturgy will focus on special rites and prayers regarding gun safety and my sermon will address gun safety and how we can respond. I encourage you to wear some orange clothing, the color identified as gun safety, (the bright orange that hunters wear). We will gather on Sunday with our hearts heavy, in the shadow of a pervasive and heartbreaking reality: gun violence. It is a dark shadow that stretches across our lives, our community, our nation; touching communities big and small, leaving in its wake shattered families, traumatized children, and a profound sense of grief, loss, and despair.

We see it in the headlines, hear it in the sirens, and too often, experience it in our own neighborhoods. As a hospital chaplain in a trauma 1 hospital, I can affirm, the statistics, stark as they are, can never fully convey the human cost: the lives cut short, the futures stolen, the dreams extinguished, the sudden grief that families must bear. I've seen it all too often. And in the face of such devastation, it is natural to ask: Where is God in all of this? Where is hope? What are we, as people of faith, called to do?

Our sacred texts, across diverse traditions, speak to us of peace, of justice, of the sanctity of human life. They call us to be our brothers' and sisters' keepers, to care for the vulnerable, and to actively work for a world where violence and killing does not have the final say. When we witness gun violence, we are witnessing a profound breaking of that sacred covenant. We are seeing a disregard of the divine image within each person. And in that breaking, we are called not to despair, but to action.

First, we are called to lament. To acknowledge the pain, to grieve with those who grieve, and to allow our hearts to be broken by the brokenness of the world. This is not a passive act; it is an act of empathy that opens us to the suffering of others. It is an act of spiritual courage to face the ugliness of what is.

Second, we are called to examine our own hearts and hands. What is our role, however small, in perpetuating or allowing this violence to continue? Are we cultivating a culture of division and animosity, or one of understanding and compassion? Are we willing to advocate for policies that prioritize human life over all else? Do we support initiatives that address the root causes of violence, such as poverty, lack of opportunity, and mental health crises?

Third, we are called to be peacemakers. This is not a passive title, but an active vocation. It means speaking out against violence in all its forms. It means working for sensible solutions that can reduce the flow of guns into dangerous hands. It means investing in community programs that offer alternatives to violence, that build bridges where there are divides, and that offer hope where there is despair. It means fostering a culture of non-violence, starting in our own homes and extending into our communities. It means teaching our children and grandchildren the value of every life, and showing them how to resolve conflict without resorting to aggression and violence.

Finally, we are called to hold onto hope. Not a naive hope that ignores the harsh realities, but a tenacious hope rooted in the belief that transformation is possible. We believe in a God who is for life, who desires shalom – a holistic peace that encompasses justice, well-being, and flourishing for all. This hope compels us to continue the work, even when it feels overwhelming. It reminds us that every small act of kindness, every voice raised for justice, every prayer offered for peace, contributes to a larger movement toward healing and wholeness.

Let us be instruments of Christ's peace, agents of change, and beacons of hope in a nation and a world desperately in need of both. May our faith move us to action, and may our actions bring us closer to a world where the sounds of gunshots are replaced by the sounds of laughter, learning, life and love.

​May it be so!