With great sadness we hold in our hearts the victims of last week’s violent attack in Charleston and all who are affected by this tragedy. Standing with the Emanuel AME Church as a faith community, we continue to grieve the unnecessary loss of life, particularly within an institution of spiritual refuge and through the wielding of a powerful hatred based on race.

We mourn the loss of innocent people, including great leaders and clergy as well as lay people, and offer our chanting to invoke compassion for the comfort and well-being of their families, their fellow congregants and all those exposed to acts of prejudice, hatred or violence. We extend concern also to those who, under the illusion of separateness, cause great harm to others and themselves.

A short memorial service will be held at City Center this Wednesday, June 24, during the time of evening service in the zendo (about 6:15 pm), which follows afternoon zazen. All are welcome. Please use the Laguna Street door. Previously a memorial service was held at Green Gulch Farm last Saturday, at the conclusion of the one-day sitting.

May all beings be safe. May all beings know peace.

With deep abiding care and compassion,

Eijun Linda Ruth Cutts, Rinso Ed Sattizahn, Furyu Nancy Schroeder
and all at San Francisco Zen Center

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Note: Another memorial service for the Irish exchange students killed last week in a balcony collapse in Berkeley will be held at City Center Friday evening at the same time.

Also, the following previous messages from the abbatial leadership on similar or related events may be of interest:

• April 29, 2015, on tensions in Baltimore (and the Nepal earthquake).
• Jan 14, 2015, on local shootings on our corner in SF (see end of article on vigil).
• Sept 30, 2014, on Ferguson (and other issues of concern last fall).

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Photo credits: Buddha by Clare Hollander; the steeple of Emanuel African Methodist Church, Charleston, SC, by Spencer Means through Wikimedia Commons.