Dear Senator Cruz,

I am watching the solemn ceremony as the remains of Police Officer Brian Sicknick are taken to the Capitol Rotunda to lie in honor. My heart is breaking for you right now. As a pastor, I can only imagine the turmoil you are experiencing. I have had people sit in front of me, weeping with guilt because something they did, perhaps out of ignorance or carelessness, has had catastrophic consequences.

I can only imagine the shock when you heard that the insurrectionists, down on the Senate floor, said, “I think Cruz would want us to do this… So I think we’re good.” The heaviness in your soul when you read that 5 people died, that more murders were planned.  And this – to see that someone who willingly took on the service of protecting your life is now gone, senselessly killed by a mob, drunk on the Big Lie that you and others fostered, about non-existent election fraud in the 2020 election.

So here is what I know, based on my experience walking with others in similar situations: it will take a long time for your soul to heal, but it can heal. Acknowledging the shame and regret is difficult, but it allows you to take responsibility for what you did, and how others may have misconstrued your intentions. There is a nobility in that, when we acknowledge that we made a dreadful mistake, make amends, and commit to not doing so again.

I am praying for you. I am praying for your soul to find healing.

There is only one thing I know to be worse than the anguish of facing up to one’s grievous errors in judgment. To be so without morality that you refuse to see them.

I will continue praying for your soul to find healing … to be restored enough to face your role and responsibility in the deaths of others.