Marines, Muslims, police officers, Christians, elected officials, and all kinds of countless community members gathered at Olivet Baptist Church on Friday to join hands and pray a simple refrain, “God, make Chattanooga strong.”
That phrase was the mantra of the evening for the crowd that met in solidarity, supporting the victims and families of the mass shooting on Thursday that left four Marines dead and several others wounded.
Several elected officials and spiritual leaders spoke on the tragedy, extolling justice, love and friendship in the face of such horrible violence. Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Bob Corker, Mayor Andy Berke, Governor Bill Haslam, and Dr. Mohsin Ali were just a few who spoke to the crowd in mourning.
Each of the speeches and prayers were punctuated with standing ovations and cheers for the words about collective sorrow, but also love and hope.
Senator Alexander said, “The word I’ve heard the most in the past day has been ‘Heartbroken.’ Heartbroken about the lives lost… heartbroken to think how could anyone in our community do such a thing.”
He said, “Most people in our country know about what happened yesterday, and a great many of them would like to be here tonight. You do not grieve alone.”
Finally he restated words spoken by Ronald Reagan after a tragic plane crash during his presidency saying, “There are no words that can make your sorrow less or our sorrow less painful, how I wish there were, but of one thing we can be sure… they will never grow old, they will always be young, and we know one thing with every bit of our thinking, they are now in the arms of God.”
Police Chief Fred Fletcher also spoke, saying that the police have an intimate understanding of faith, consistently putting their lives on the line for their community and that the gathering was about the lives lost.
He said that faith came to life on Thursday because their actions saved lives, and “I could not be prouder to be a police officer, a Chattanooga police officer, or a Chattanoogan than I was yesterday.”
He also said, “The men and women of the Chattanooga Police Department would want me to tell you, to the victims of yesterday’s tragedy, we remain always faithful. To the survivors of yesterday’s tragedy, always faithful. To the families and friends of yesterday’s tragedy, always faithful. To the community they served yesterday, today, tomorrow, always faithful. To the trust you place in us to go out there everyday, we promise, always faithful.”
One of the final speakers, Dr. Ali, garnered perhaps the loudest applause for his words as a representative of the Islamic Society of Greater Chattanooga, grieving with the rest of the city and celebrating whatever good can be salvaged from the tragedy.
He said, “In the name of God, the god of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammed, it is not easy for me to speak at an event of such magnitude, after a loss so tragic and so close to home. For inspiration, I look to the courage of marines who laid down their lives yesterday, and to the police officers who stood in the line of fire.”
He called them heroes who deserved to come home.
Dr. Ali said that his debt and gratitude for their service is maybe even greater than most because he is acutely aware of what life can be like when peace is lost, when justice is trampled, and when law is obliterated. He said he has seen some of that firsthand and his family is proud to call Chattanooga home.
Since today is Eid al-Fitr, one of the holiest days in Islam, a celebration at the end Ramadan, he said that Muslims all across the world are in celebration and thanksgiving.
But, he said, “For Chattanooga Muslims, there is no celebration today. We are mourning the violent attack on our city.”
At this point he asked whatever Muslims had come to the service in solidarity for their fallen heroes to stand. Several dozen did in a pledge of allegiance to the community to resounding applause from the community.
Dr. Ali finished with a simple prayer, “God bless our fallen heroes, God bless their families and loved ones, God bless the survivors, God bless the men and women in uniform who risk their lives for our freedom, God bless everyone in this room, everyone in this city, and everyone anywhere in this country or the world who is aligned with this message of peace and brotherhood.”