Litany: Amid Our Pain, the Light Shines in the Darkness

L: Compassionate Christ, we bring you our sorrow, grief, and loss.
A: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can not overcome it. (John 1:5)

L: Help us walk forward in the wake of unspeakable tragedy; help us embrace hope in the shadow of despair.
A: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can not overcome it.

L: Comforting Spirit, hear our sighs, too deep for words, and our longing for peace, healing, and understanding. Fill us with the wisdom to embrace that which unifies and to reject the seductive temptation to hate.
A: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can not overcome it.

L: Creator God, even in a time when the darkness of evil seems powerful indeed, we know that the light of love cannot be defeated. We affirm the sovereignty of life over death. Amid all our pain, we claim hope in defiance of despair.
A: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can not overcome it.

This litany is based on the stirring words of courage and comfort offered by the Rev. Bill King, an ELCA campus pastor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, at the April 17, 2007 university convocation remembering the students and faculty killed the day before. As members of the ELCA, we walk with those most affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy through ELCA Domestic Disaster Response/Lutheran Disaster Response and Lutheran Campus Ministry.

Gifts sent to Women of the ELCA (designated for "Virginia Tech Tragedy") will be forwarded to ELCA Domestic Disaster Response/Lutheran Disaster Response to support emotional and spiritual care for disaster survivors, caregivers, and the campus community.