On Monday, March 22nd, a mass shooting left ten people dead at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. The investigation is ongoing, and the shooter’s motivation may yet be unclear. Still, early reports indicate that those who died seem to have been simply running errands and doing their jobs. We at the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington are heartbroken, and from our nation’s capital, we extend our deepest condolences and prayers to the families of those who lost loved ones in this tragic incident.

We are also painfully aware that less than a week has passed since the mass shooting in and around Atlanta, Georgia. These tragedies happen far too often in our nation, and the IFC calls on people of all faiths (and of no particular faith) to reflect on what we all might do to reduce the horrific toll that gun violence takes in the U.S. every year. We especially call on those in our 11 historic faith traditions who live and work in the DC Metro area to consider what they are uniquely positioned to do to prevent such attacks from happening in the future.

The IFC recognizes that there may not be unanimity among our faith traditions on how best to address gun violence, but to do nothing is to remain complicit with these tragedies. We at the IFC therefore encourage people of all faiths (and of no particular faith) to be courageous by sharing their sorrow with one another even as they listen with love to one another. Let us recommit ourselves to nurturing a beloved community through nonviolent means, even amid these devastating days.

In a spirit of lament,
Rev. Dr. David B. Lindsey