Dear Conservatives: Learning to mourn when you are uncomfortable.

I keep reading things about this shooting. It's devastating. It's awfully painful.

As a conservative white Christian, sometimes it is easier to brush off the pain of others, especially those I do not understand.

I don't understand people who are homosexual.
I also don't understand African American people.
Or Hispanic people.
Or people from Asian countries.
Or Jewish people.
Or Muslim people..(et al)
And in my lack of understanding, I note my discomfort in the differences in their cultures to mine. But every last one of these people are PEOPLE.
They are human beings, each has a life that deserves to live.
Each is a child of a mother and father, some are sisters and brothers.

I implore you to not brush off the pain of these just because they are different from you.
Do you have parents?
Do you have children?
Do you have siblings?
If so, you can understand.
Try to understand.
Grieve with the families who lost loved ones.

Life is life. Each person did, does, and will matter.

I also implore you to pray for the people in our country who at this time are being radicalized by the Islamic State.
I implore you, though, not to pray for your safety, because if God wills it, he will provide it.
But instead, pray for the souls of these PEOPLE.
Pray that they would seek God and find Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Without Jesus, they cannot find true peace, and without Jesus, they will not be in heaven celebrating and worshipping Christ at the end.

"Love your enemies, and pray for the people who persecute you."

Let's not reciprocate hate with hate, and terror with terror.
Let's replace hate with love.
Let's show others how Jesus wanted us to live, even if it means to be meek in the face of terror.
God has a plan for each of us, and our lives are not over until God says they are over.
He has a will for each of are lives.
And God is not done with YOU yet.
God is also not done with people of different religions than us.
Let their ears and hearts hear the peace of Christ upon them. 

Jesus prayed for the people who were crucifying him, saying, "Forgive them Lord, they do not know what they are doing."

Let us also show forgiveness, for true healing.

Forgive the terrorists, guys.

There. I said it.