Bishop Sam Rodman and Bishop Suffragan Anne Hodges-Copple of North Carolina respond to shootings at the University of North Carolina–Charlotte on April 30:
We will not allow ourselves to be victims of this vicious cycle. We hold those who were injured and killed in our hearts and our prayers. We will continue to work for the values Jesus taught us to embody: “Love one another, as I have loved you.” This is God’s call to each of us, especially in the wake of yet another tragedy that could have been — and should have been — avoidable.
… Our faith assures we can make a change. Hope alone is not enough. If the cycle is to break, hope must be partnered with action. We hope for peace, and we work for peace. We hope for love, and we reach out to our neighbors. We hope for healing, and we make ourselves vulnerable to the sufferings of others. Our faith is in Christ, whose love is the center and source of all our hope.
Our brothers and sisters in Charlotte, and all who love them, are not going through this alone. The bishops and local clergy are in touch with the leaders of our campus ministry, and all stand ready to support and respond to the needs of those most affected. Do not doubt your prayers will help give them the strength and wisdom to navigate these days, and we ask that you keep an eye on diocesan communication channels, as we will be sure to share any requests that come from the Charlotte area.
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
