“There is more love somewhere…. I’m gonna keep on, til I find it…. There is more love somewhere.”

I’m not sure why this hymn keeps rattling through my head today, because honest-to-pete, I have been astonished by how much love I have witnessed the past few days. It’s more than I ever imagined possible. (And please bear in mind that “love” may be my least favorite word in the English language — though that’s another story.)

The outpouring I’ve seen makes me not just glad, but actually proud, to be part of such a wonderful faith community (Unitarian Universalist and beyond). At my church’s vigil last night, I heard that many (maybe even all) of the different churches and temples in Knoxville have reached out to help their UU neighbors.

From my worm’s eye perspective, it’s in-my-face evident in the TLC our family has received around the loss of our beloved Roxy. There has been so much terrible news for the church the last few days that I assumed the death of a 95 year-old would have to take a back seat. But no. Not two hours after hearing of the second tragedy, the President of the congregation called me to say we weren’t going to be forgotten. At the point he called it hadn’t even crossed my mind.

Then this morning I thought we shouldn’t bother our Caring Committee about a reception after the memorial service this coming Saturday. But no again. The minister said they actually want to do this. Their chair even called her about it yesterday — from the road, returning from a vacation. I shake my head in wonder. And I hope I can find ways to mirror this love back.