Nashville locals have been airing their disappointment after it was revealed that the Glendale United Methodist Church had a window smashed by vandals. The attack took place yesterday, and the church uploaded a photo showing the damage onto its Instagram page.

In a powerful statement, the church responded by saying: “To the person(s) who vandalized this safe sanctuary last night: you are loved. And even though hate literally broke through by your action in that moment, we are reminded that God’s love always conquers human hate and the joy and love shared this morning during worship was palpable in this space – that is something that no one can take away.”

Responding to this, one follower wrote: “What a beautiful response to a sad action. Standing with you in love.” while others showed support to the church. Whatever your views on religion, it’s always a sad sight to see a place of worship damaged and deliberately targeted. Thankfully, no one was in the seats at the time, as the object could have easily struck someone on the head and caused serious damage. As seen, these seats were situated right by the smashed window.

On a positive note, many followers also claimed to pay for the damages which shows that despite such a cruel action. If anything, you could also argue that this act of vandalism has only helped bring the local Methodist community closer together.