“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”

Josh Sumpter, assistant chaplain at Waynesburg University, opened his Oct. 30 sermon at Robert’s Chapel with this quote. This sermon took place three days after 11 people died in a shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill.

Sumpter said he purposefully chose to open with the quote, which was originally spoken by Fred Rogers of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” to symbolize brotherly love in a time when it was needed most.

“In the Christian community, we need to critically think about what it looks like to care for our neighbors,” Sumpter said.

As a chaplain, Sumpter said he has found it challenging to know the right things to say to the campus congregation in times of turmoil, and this was no exception.

“[I ask myself], what words of comfort, what words of truth,” he said, “what does our community need to hear?”

The Rev. James Tinnemeyer, vice president for Student Services and university chaplain, learned a very similar lesson when he was first ordained in Aug. 2001. A month later, the events of 9/11 took place, but he was scheduled to preach. For him, what he had to do was going to be a full act of faith.

“When these horrible things happen, you have to put aside what you had planned to say,” Tinnemeyer said. “I knew I had to get up and help to lead my people that I was serving to know of God’s love and God’s care and that they weren’t alone.”

Tinnemeyer said the recent Squirrel Hill shooting hit extremely close to home for him, as he and his family used to live a block away from the synagogue.

“We have a number of very close friends who are Jewish and live in Squirrel Hill,” Tinnemeyer said. “While I’m not currently a part of that community, my heart was breaking.”

To find hope in the midst of brokenness, Sumpter said he relies heavily on his faith for strength to help himself and others.

“My hope is in the promises of God,” he said. “Ultimately, God calls us to participate in bringing light forth.”

As he continues to cope, Tinnemeyer said he has remained overwhelmed by the amount of love within Pittsburgh after the shooting.

I’m struck again through this horrible experience at the stories and the outpouring of compassion,” Tinnemeyer said, struggling to hold back tears. “That to me is hope. In the face of something so horrible, to see all this love and kindness and outpouring gives me hope.”

University President Douglas G. Lee confirmed this display of compassion in Pittsburgh.

“Pittsburgh has responded to hate with love in a way that provides hope in the face of tragedy,” Lee said. “This act of violence is unfathomable, but I have been moved by the bravery of Pittsburgh’s first responders and police officers. I continue to pray for our community as we all come together to heal.”

As the dust begins to settle after the Tree of Life shooting, Tinnemeyer said he urges those who are hurting to visit the university’s Counseling Center and to continue positive and honest discussions.

“It’s important that we do talk about it,” Tinnemeyer said. “The more that we talk about these kinds of things, as hard as they are, there’s hope.”