21 November 2022
A message from PSR President David Vásquez-Levy —
The community at Pacific School of Religion stands in solidarity and grief with the victims and families of the horrendous attack on Club Q in Colorado Springs this past Saturday night. Five precious lives were lost, many more were hurt and traumatized, and a place known as a refuge for the LGBTQ+ community was violently destroyed. Once again, an act of hatred and senseless violence has targeted the LGBTQ+ community and on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance. Such actions deeply impact us all but particularly members of our own beloved community.
In a resolution shared at the funeral service for Eli Mata’afa, one of our own lost to gun violence last month, we stated: “Be it also resolved that as a community, we will pattern our own lives and study after the principles, values, and practices he demonstrated among us – caring for the young, caring for the earth, caring for family, and committing ourselves to combat the scourge of violence.” In the words of Psalm 34, we name God’s grief and call for justice, and commit to our work of preparing leaders that can create a world where ALL can thrive.