This litany is based on the stirring words of courage and comfort offered by the Rev. Bill King, an ELCA campus pastor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, at the April 17, 2007 university convocation remembering the students and faculty killed the day before. As members of the ELCA, we walk with those most affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy through ELCA Domestic Disaster Response/Lutheran Disaster Response (www.elca.org/disaster ) and Lutheran Campus Ministry (www.elca.org/campusministry ).
Litany: Amid our pain, the light shines in the darkness
L: Compassionate Christ, we bring you our sorrow, grief, and loss.
A: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can not overcome it. (John 1:5)
L: Help us walk forward in the wake of unspeakable tragedy; help us embrace hope in the shadow of despair.
A: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can not overcome it.
L: Comforting Spirit, hear our sighs, too deep for words, and our longing for peace, healing, and understanding. Fill us with the wisdom to embrace that which unifies and to reject the seductive temptation to hate.
A: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can not overcome it.
L: Creator God, even in a time when the darkness of evil seems powerful indeed, we know that the light of love cannot be defeated. We affirm the sovereignty of life over death. Amid all our pain, we claim hope in defiance of despair.
A: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can not overcome it.
Gifts to ELCA Disaster Response (designated for "Virginia Tech Tragedy") will support emotional and spiritual care for disaster survivors, caregivers and the campus community. Gifts to Lutheran Campus Ministry support our ongoing ministry at 187 colleges and universities. Learn more at www.elca.org/giving
LH
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