By Rev. Kevin M. DePrinzio, OSA, Vice President for Mission and Ministry; and Teresa A. Nance, PhD, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Chief Diversity Officer
This past weekend, our country was rocked by horrific mass shooting events around the country, including ones in Buffalo, New York; Orange County, California; and Houston, Texas. Hate. Not a euphemistic hate or a rhetorical hate, but a hate that ends lives.
These days, as we hear about such tragedies, many of us want to turn away from the news. It becomes too difficult, too raw, too painful to endure. And yet, we cannot become numb to this kind of inhumanity. We cannot allow ourselves the excuse of difficulty or the luxury of indifference because our Catholic Augustinian identity demands that we recognize the sacredness of each life and affirm the humanity of all people.
Take a moment today to recognize and affirm the humanity of those who lost their lives and those who were injured this past weekend. After you reflect, think about how you can make a difference. Hate demands a response. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that.” Whatever we can, we must do. We are called to do no less.