As I sit here writing this, my heart is breaking-- for a lot of reasons-- but especially because I know that nothing I can say will take away the pain that so many people are feeling. I can’t bring anyone back. There are no words that will allow those mothers to see their children again or to erase the trauma that will undoubtedly follow the numerous policemen, EMS, doctors and nurses involved for the rest of their lives. For that, I am sorry. What I can and will do is offer my support. It is not enough, but in tragedies like these, support and love is all we have.

First, I want to apologize for the way so many Christians have responded to this. Please understand that I am as Christian as they come. I’ve gone to church almost every Sunday for most of my life. In high school, I went to church at 6am every school day to do bible study. I am not condemning Christianity, but I also just need to say that the amount of hate I have seen from Christians toward homosexuals is absolutely ridiculous. I’ve had Facebook friends (former Facebook friends now), people I actually know and went to school with, supporting the situation in Orlando. Some are outright celebrating while some are trying to pass it off by saying things like, “Well I don’t hate gays, and I personally wouldn’t do that, but they’d still be alive if it weren’t for their sinful lifestyle.” I’ve had close family members say they think we should start stoning gay people. It makes me so sad to see people representing Christ, the epitome of unconditional love, acting this way. Let us not forget in John, where the Pharisees brought a woman to Christ, an adulteress no less, demanding that she be stoned. What was Jesus’ response? “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone” (John 8:7 KJV). This is what Christianity is about: love, forgiveness. For all those who have received less than this from your Christian neighbors, I just want to say that I am so so sorry.

Secondly, I want to you know that I am praying for you. To the families and friends and partners of every single person lost, know you are in my thoughts. Death of a loved one is always a tragedy, but in this kind of situation, it’s more than that. It’s haunting. I know that everyone involved or related to the shooting will remember every second of that night and the following morning. I can only pray you will able to find peace of mind, that you will be able to afford funeral expenses, and that you will be able to support yourselves after this tragedy. I am also praying for the LGBTQ+ community everywhere. Too many of my friends have mentioned how scared they are to even leave their homes. A few weeks ago, a woman in my hometown was assaulted for “looking gay.” That, along with this is absolutely terrifying. I’m praying every day for your safety and comfort. Along with that, I am praying for my Muslim friends. Some of you have mentioned that every time something like this happens and a Muslim is involved, you are terrified of what people may do to you or your family as a result. People see you as an enemy for following your faith. Know that you do not deserve that.

Lastly, I want to say thank you. Thank you to every person who is showing love and compassion the way Christ would if he were here. Thank you to Chic-Fil-A for opening on Sunday, making FREE sandwiches to the people in line to give blood. Thank you to the many Muslims who stood hours in line, in the heat to give blood, despite it being your fasting month of Ramadan. To clarify, Muslims can’t eat or drink anything during the day from June 5 to July 5, and yet many of them chose to risk getting sick to give to their wounded community. Thank you to all the first responders and medical staff working overtime. Thank you to the churches offering free funeral services. Thank you to the companies like Jetblue, who are offering free flights for families of the victims. My childhood hero, Mr. Rogers once said, “When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people helping.”