Every. Single. One.

As I write this on Tuesday evening, November 22, 2022, I wish I could sit down with you and ask, “How are you? How are you really?” This weekend, five more individuals were killed in Club Q and many, many others present were injured and/or will carry the traumatic memories of that evening. Every single person who was there is precious, beloved by God, and created in God’s image. Every. Single. One.

The next day, Sunday, was the 23rd annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. In the United States, the reported number of transgender people murdered between 2017 and 2021 nearly doubled. Black women were almost three quarters of those killed. And of course, these are just the reported numbers. My friends, each transgender person is precious to God, an image-bearer of our Creator. There are no exceptions.

Add in the many deaths from the earthquake in Indonesia, the likelihood that the holiday season we enter this week will be marked by loneliness and sadness for many of us, and the hard emotions loom large.

Today, please know that God can take all the hurt and anger and fear you feel. Your big emotions might scare you, but they don’t scare God. Be gentle with yourself and your loved ones. Allow trustworthy friends to come alongside and comfort you. Welcome joy and gratitude when they arise, allowing them to sit next to your difficult emotions, if necessary. Reach out to your therapist, your support person, or me if you think it might help.

But also, please know this: all this violence and fear is not what God wants for us. In God,, every single person belongs. Each one deserves love, respect, and caring compassion. In God, every person is worthy of fully-assured security. In God, the door is always flung wide open for us. These are the truths we proclaim as we move into the Christian season of Advent, which just happens to be a time of expectant waiting for our salvation.