When tragic moments occur in today’s culture, division is too often the response. Wednesday morning a shooting took place in Minneapolis, MN resulting in a death. While I cannot claim to know all the details, what I do know is we are the Church. We are called to be witnesses to God in our midst empowering us to be a people of love.
The prayer of St Francis of Assisi offers a powerful reminder that we are instruments of God in this world. Please pray the first stanza of this prayer with me:
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
In the fullness of God’s presence, we pray for peace in these days. May we be open to tangible acts of justice that open the ways of peace.
Thank you for being the Church.
Rev. Liz Woodward
Sabbatical Regional Minister for the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest
The Minnesota Council of Churches published a statement regarding the shooting. “At the Minnesota Council of Churches, we speak from a faith tradition that insists every human being is created in the image of God…No one in our state should have to leave their home in fear that an ordinary day could end in detention, arrest, or physical harm…This moment calls us away from hardened partisan positions and toward our shared humanity. Read the full statement here.
