I am absolutely shocked at the events that happened this weekend. After finding out about the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, I was speechless. My heart goes out to all of the people of Orlando, especially those affected by this shooting. You are in my heart and in my prayers, and you did not deserve this.

The fact that this happened at a popular LGBT club is a very important detail that should not be left out. It shows that although our country has made progress toward acceptance, we are still not quite there yet. And this takes away all of my hope for the future.

Just because you don't agree with someone's choices or someone's lifestyle does not give you the right to judge them, let alone harm them. One of our fatal flaws as humans is the inability to accept those who are different than us. We like to be familiar with our surroundings, even the surroundings that don't affect us directly. We desperately want people to agree with out beliefs. We search for affirmation in others, and it's not a good feeling when we don't receive it.

Hating people who are different does not accomplish anything. It does the exact opposite: it spreads destruction like a wildfire. I identify as a Christian, but that doesn't mean that I hate those who are not Christians. Instead of spreading hate, what if we spread love? If you really want people to agree with you that badly, you should show them the good qualities of your beliefs, not the bad. By spreading love, we can make the world a better place to live in, and more importantly we can make better people who love in return.

It's not enough to just dream of this "better world" though. We have to actually take action. Now, I'm not saying that we should go to every single person who needs love, but just one person at a time. We don't even have to travel the world to do this. Just start with the people around you. We all know someone who could use a little more love in their life. I mean, can't we all? Love is something we all need. We all desire to be loved. If we loved others half as much as we wish to be loved, we could change the world. Maybe horrific tragedies like the one this weekend wouldn't happen. We could prevent them simply with love. Orlando, I'm praying for you, and I love you.