Unitarians turn tragedy into lesson of love

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - When an out-of-work truck driver opened fire in a Tennessee church because it welcomed gay and multiracial families, the congregation met that hatred with love. In the process, it inspired a national campaign centered on Valentine's Day to promote tolerance.

Unitarian Universalist churches across the country will be holding events tomorrow and Monday promoting civil political discourse, gay rights and humane immigration reform, and ending what it calls the demonization of American Muslims as part of "National Standing on the Side of Love Day."

The idea is to take a day that is already about love, albeit the romantic variety, and expand it into a day when people seriously consider the implications of "loving thy neighbor."

It's the sort of thinking that made the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville a target for Jim Adkisson, whose ex-wife had once belonged to the congregation. The denomination promotes progressive social work, including advocacy of women and gay rights.

Adkisson told police after the shooting that he was unemployed, depressed and ready to take his anger out on what he called an "ultraliberal" church that "never met a pervert they just didn't embrace."

He walked into the church on July 27, 2008, pulled a sawed-off shotgun from a guitar case and fired into a group of about 230 people watching a children's performance of the musical "Annie."

He killed two people and wounded another six before church members wrestled him to the ground. He pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence.

The night after the shooting, the church held a vigil attended by an overflow crowd of many faiths and political persuasions. The service ended with the children, on their own initiative, singing the "Annie" theme song "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow."

"Everyone was standing up and clapping," Tennessee Valley Pastor Chris Buice said. "At that moment, I had a palpable sense of love that is greater than our differences that I felt, and still feel, in a physical way."

One of those attending was the Unitarian Universalist Association's then-president William Sinkford. Inspired by the church's example of overcoming hatred with love, he helped launch the national campaign.

About 150 congregations around the country will be holding an event for "Standing on the Side of Love Day" this year. The churches have tailored the events to the concerns of their communities.