I remember wondering if it was smart to skip seeing TDKR in Denver after the shooting in Aurora. Everyone I knew said we had to go. We went. We survived.

This time, I find myself wondering if I should go to church, and if I should take my kids to our church, a Black church, tomorrow. Why? Because obviously the crazies are out and about.

We’re going. And I would love the opportunity to speak.

So here’s what I would say if the pastor, who I don’t yet know well, pulled me aside and said, “We could use a word. I was hoping it wouldn’t be imposing to ask if you would say something.”

****

Let the church say, “Amen.”

Let the whole church say, “Amen.”

Pastor asked me to say a word. I was actually hoping he would. Here’s the truth. I almost didn’t come today. Then I decided that I would come for sure, but I almost didn’t bring my kids. Almost. What tipped the scales? The blood.

The blood.

Did you see the blood?

Seriously, I am curious. I want to know if you saw it.

The blood, did you see it?

I am a pilot. We take yearly checkrides. Mine was scheduled for that night and I needed to focus. So it was late at night before I saw the blood.

The blood, did you see it?

Seeing the blood was shocking, right? In my line of work, I often seen blood-soaked cloth. Or dried blood on a person. But blood like that? I can’t say I have seen that. Is that happening inside my body right now? If so, I don’t feel it, which is weird.

The blood, did you see it?

Is that what it takes to keep a human going? He was sitting. Is there a difference between sitting calmly and, say, running? Would there have been more pumping power if he had been running or just finished a set?

The blood, did you see it?

So despite some instincts which told me not to, I showed up today because of the blood. Do you get it?

The blood, did you see it?

Did you see the blood?

I did. And that’s why I came.

Pastor.