As the nation and church come to grips with the bone-chilling reality of the massacre at Mother Emanuel, lives will forever be changed and we seem to experience a period of disconnection.
Bishop A.J. Richardson calls the shootings “SAD” because indeed we are sorrowful, angry and dismayed. The resilience of our core has been rocked, but not moved.
On Thursday evening, June 18, I was attempting to give a comforting voice of reason and strength to Northwest Florida residents. However, through my passion and feeling of hurt for our brothers and sisters, the tenet of my message was completely distorted and cyber media took a headline and completely ran with it.
I would like to reaffirm my position of nonviolence and stricter gun laws: I do not endorse, and have never endorsed, bringing any weapon into any sacred house of worship.
I have been praying, and will continue to pray, for the strength and courage of all lives touched by this massacre.
I pray for Dylann Roof, his family, friends and supporters, because love and forgiveness must prevail and hate for anyone cannot do what love will do. We are a forgiving people, and we must spread love instead of hate and lies.
Let me set this record straight: The pastor, nor any disciple of Mount Zion AME Church in Crestview, has never participated, and will not participate, in any violent activity or exercise any use of guns or violence during my tenure here.
I have never used a firearm or encouraged a firearm to be used. I am always for peace to all mankind. The pastor and disciples of Mount Zion AME Church will go out of our way to give comfort, support, prayers, love and encouragement to all mankind.
We believe that prayer protects, and that only prayer changes things and changes people.
The bloodstain of the Charleston Nine will be forever etched in our hearts and minds as we will have to ponder security at multiple levels of work, church, or play.
The conversations of Confederate flags in South Carolina, gun control overhaul, or race relations must not be “swept in a corner”; we must work toward common good for all mankind.
This shooting was not an isolated incident; this was a planned, heinous crime that has raised our level of awareness and asking, "Where do we go from here?"
My voice is that there must be emergency plans in place but at no time would my emergency plans include any weapon of destruction.
Jeremiah 31:3 says it best: “With loving kindness have I drawn thee.” Loving kindness effects the victory.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction…
"The chain reaction of evil — hate begetting hate; wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."
It is and has always been my desire to love, pray and treat everyone the way I would like to be treated.
I have been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and lied on, but I know that I love, I pray, and I care about all lives and all souls.
It is my intention to continue spreading love, prayers, praise and thanksgiving.
The Rev. D. Sinclair Forbes is pastor of Mount Zion AME Church in Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Massacre of Charleston 9: Where do we go from here?