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Have You Heard?

ANOTHER MASS SHOOTING. ANOTHER PRAYER. ANOTHER HASHTAG. ANOTHER DAY IN AMERICA. (Ruiz)

Thus far in January, there have been forty mass shootings in the United States. That fact took my breath away in disbelief. I can’t help but wonder. How did we get here? God be with us. Deadly start to 2023 as mass shootings pervades the nation.

Two fatal mass shootings have rocked our [Asian] community in California in two days – tragedies as we celebrate the Lunar New Year, as well as gun violence killing Asian-Americans, and others, by two older Asian men. The stress, trauma, and sheer heartache of feeling vulnerable, targeted, and interwoven into our uniquely American abuse of gun violence are heavy and hard. (Pastor Kathryn Schreiber)

Twice in three days, California communities targeting Chinese/Asian American individuals have the unspeakable pain of mass shootings. We cannot accept this violence as usual. We join families in mourning the multiple lives lost in Half Moon Bay.

May the victims of the Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings rest in peace. They ranged in age from 38 to 73 years old, and two married couples were among the group. Their lives were unfairly taken from them, and we must mourn their loss and advocate for justice. May their families feel the presence of God surrounding them. The names of the victims in the Half Moon Bay shooting are Zhishen Liu, 73, and his wife, Aixiang Zhang, 74, of San Francisco; Qizhong Cheng, 66, and his wife Jingzhi Lu, 64, of Half Moon Bay; Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50, of Moss Beach; Yetao Bing, 43, and Jose Romero Perez, 38.

Please give yourself the time to mourn, process, and heal from these traumatic and tragic events, and when you feel ready, reach out to those who might require assistance in their healing.

There is once again a call for gun control now! One can call/email your senator’s office asking them to vote in support of H.R.1808. A bill to ban military-style assault weapons and S.1395 would raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons from 18 to 21.

The below-shared resources and ways to be of support are listed below. Rev. Kathryn Schreiber

Amid the devastation of the recent shooting, it is inspiring to see Asian Americans – and others – coming together to support one another and the people of #MontereyPark. If you want to help, or need help, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Make a contribution to the official Monterey Park Lunar New Year Victims’ Fund on Go Fund Me to support victims, survivors, and their families. https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/monterey-park-shooting-help

Use AAPI Equity Alliance‘s list of local, state, and national mental health resources for impacted individuals, including non-English speakers.

Call on your elected officials to invest in victims resources, including culturally-responsive care for limited-English proficient communities. https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

You can also visit https://stopaapihate.org/actnow to see everything in one place.

Above all, please support your Asian American friends, colleagues, neighbors, and community members. It’s been a difficult two days for many of us — and it is up to all of us to help each other heal and recover.

Let us pray for the peaceful transition of the souls who died, healing for those wounded, comfort for those grieving, strength for those responding to these acts of violence, and for all impacted, including the men who took the lives of friends, neighbors, and co-workers, and people who made and sold the weapons that took human lives.

Dear Ones, we are held in a vast web of human interconnections, and we are embraced by the infinite arms of a God who loves us more than we can imagine. Let us lean into and trust what is true, sound, and eternal.

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, God’s mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23

The Lord Bless You, and Keep; Make His Face Shine upon you!  https://youtu.be/OKd0B2YhHpk

Written in collaboration with Rev. Kathryn Schreiber, pastor at Berkeley Chinese Community Church UCC.

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