INDIANAPOLIS -- The unspeakable violence and bloodshed in Orlando still haunts many. On Tuesday, the Christian Theological Seminary held a prayer vigil to give Hoosiers a chance to publicly grieve.
"We wanted to provide a space for people to come and express their fears, their pain, their anger and their sorrow," said Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, academic dean for the Christian Theological Seminary. "But leave with a sense of hope that they are not alone and there are people that love and care for them."
Ray Mills, 51, said he's still distraught over the raw violence and hate that the Orlando gunman delivered to 49 innocent victims.
"It's very hard to fathom that there are people out there that want to hurt people like me, who didn't decide to be gay, who just are," Mills said. "That gets really frustrating."
Mills and all the attendees were encouraged to light a candle to ignite their inner light that burns with peace and harmony.
Those who chose not to light candles used ribbon to weave a tapestry of love with the rainbow colors of the LGBT community. Alex Pittaway, who is an assistant chapel director from Australia, offered the singular comment about guns and how to stem the tide of mass shootings.
"We don't need guns that can kill 50 people without reloading," Pittaway said. "I'm calling on Christian politicians out there to follow scripture, following the book of Isaiah and turn our swords into ploughshares."
Other vigils were held around the state in Columbus and Bloomington Tuesday night, and in Kokomo on Wednesday.
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE PICTURES FROM THE VIGIL IN BLOOMINGTON:
