Eating Us Up Alive

One of the victims this past weekend at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh was a dentist nearing retirement, Dr. Richard Gottfried.  He was brought up with three sisters, and on Monday two of them were interviewed by Susannah Guthrie on NBC's Today Show, his twin sister, Debi Salvin, and his older sister, Bonni Huffman.  Though they were still numb, even shaking, they wanted to let people know who their brother was, because, as Debi said, "He touched a lot of people."

There's so much hate in our country," said Debi, and it's got to stop."  Are you afraid, they were asked.  I can't live that way, and I can't hate him," said Bonni.  The shooter.  Because if I do it will eat me up alive, inside out."

Such a brave observation.  Such a wise observation.  Hate eats you alive, from the inside out.  And in many ways, that is what's happening to our nation.  The kind of hate on display in Pittsburgh this weekend, the kind of hate that was exhibited in Charlottesville and Charleston, it will eat us alive!  It is eating us alive!  And it will continue to do so until we collectively rise up and say, no more.  No more demonization of people because of their race or religion or sexual orientation.  No more labeling, no more stereotyping.  Rather, we need to have a willingness to really come to know one another as fellow human beings.  In theological terms, as children of God.

There are many issues that feed the gun violence that permeates our culture as a nation, many concerns that need to be addressed,  but what we ultimately need is something akin to a heart transplant.  We need to allow tolerance and acceptance to replace hate and fear.  Otherwise, Bonni Huffman is right:  it will just eat us up alive, inside out.

With his sisters, we mourn the death of Richard Gottfried and all those whose lives were lost in Pittsburgh.  Yes, the perpetrator must be brought to justice.  But we best honor Richard Gottfried and all those whose lives were lost by working for the day when hate and fear are replaced by tolerance, acceptance and love.