Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings from Duluth, Minnesota. Here alongside the deep, clear waters of Lake Superior, you cherished souls are never far from my mind. This is especially true right now. Today, I have been sitting in my study reading about (and praying about) the shooting that took place only a few blocks from our beloved Sanctuary in Manhattan.

The geographical proximity of this violence is troubling. A personal connection has made it especially devastating for Amy and me. One of the women killed on Monday was a mother in the school where Amy works as a nurse. Wesley LePatner was an objectively wonderful person—a great mom.

There is something unspeakably awful about an act of evil like this. It shakes my soul. As I grasped for words of comfort to offer my spouse, I glanced out the window. In our backyard, I can see workers putting the finishing touches on the foundation for the small shop that Amy and I are building. We plan to call this space for creative work: “The Holdfast.”

One of my favorite woodworking tools is a holdfast. It is a simple piece of cast iron that can be tapped into a workbench hole to secure a slab of wood with a surprisingly firm grip.

It looks like this:

“Hold fast” also happens to be a phrase that appears in my favorite benediction.

Go out into the world in peace.
Have courage.
Hold fast to what is good.
Do not return evil for evil.
Strengthen the faint-hearted,
support the weak,
help the suffering.
Honor all people.
Love and serve the Lord.
Amen.

As you go out into the world this week, I again offer this blessing to you, my friends. In the face of evil, there may be no more powerful response than to reach with renewed vigor for the good. In this hour, let us hold fast to each other, hold fast to Christ’s vision for a different world, hold fast to all that is good.

And as you do, be assured that the grace and peace of Christ surround you and will hold firmly onto you this day and always,

Scott Black Johnston
Senior Pastor