A Call to Prayer and Action

Sisters and Brothers In Christ,

It is another sad day in our Greater Northwest Episcopal Area. Many of us were met this morning with news of yet another shooting at a school; a place that should be both safe and dedicated to learning. This time, a freshman at Marysville: Pilchuk High School (45 minutes north of Seattle) killed one, and injured four others, before ending his own life.

It is truly a terrible thing to feel such awful familiarity with these acts of violence. Subsequently, while prayer is a necessary part of our response, I hope you can appreciate my growing conviction that our prayers must be coupled with our faithful actions as well.

So I will ask you, dear brothers and sisters, to hold the families, and this community that is wrestling with both grief and fear, in your prayers. But I would also request that you consider what you might be able to do beyond the important words of comfort and support that we offer.

In the days ahead, I pray that we will remain vigilant, ever attentive, and aware of any opportunity to make our communities safe, filled with sincere love and respect for one another.

Be the Hope,

Bishop Grant