to honor the multitude with mourning

29,000 die of hunger every day. That’s 29,000 faces that reflected God’s face. That’s 29,000 portions of the image of God. That’s 29,000 stories God wrote that are lost to us this side of Heaven. That’s 29,000 of God’s children. 29,000 of God’s friends. 29,000 of Christ’s brothers and sisters. 29,000 of God’s paintings. 29,000 of God’s gifts to us.

Will we seek their stories? Will we do everything in our power to save their lives? Will we remember them? Will we mourn their souls, their eyes, their finger prints, their unique DNA, their laughter, their faces? Will we treasure them?

In the kingdom of God, does a sparrow fall so idly? Does a human being fall idly? Do 29,000? Daily?

I want to invite the community around me to a week of mourning – wearing black, not wearing makeup, not celebrating, only painful laughter – a week of holding the 20 lives lost every minute in our minds every minute that passes.

Anyone who would want to join me in mourning, I invite you to comment on suggestions of a week and what that might look like – meeting every night to watch films or hear voices of the ongoing tragedy? A community blog? Service?