Nearly two weeks ago now, a man entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC) in Knoxville, Tennessee. That day, children of the church were to present songs from the musical "Annie." In his guitar case, purchased especially for the occasion, the shooter carried a shotgun. His own personal bad fortune and the apparently careful reading he gave to such eminent authors as Michael Savage, Bill O'Reilly, and Sean Hannity, all of whom agree that liberals are the Great Satan, led him to believe that he should kill as many liberals as possible.
TVUUC sometimes seems a place of unfounded optimism. It is not a specifically Christian church, but it certainly follows Jesus' principles while it also accepts that many religions point toward what is immanent or divine. It can seem jejune. But on that day, two Unitarian Universalists became martyrs for their deeply felt principles, and others were wounded. Members of the congregation tackled and brought down the shooter, Jim David Adkisson, 59.
I went to the Sunday service the following week at TVUUC, having been a member for several years there and needing to be there again. The following is my take on the astonishing service that they held.
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