Dear friends,
In light of recent events in Charlottesville and, now, Barcelona, the Black Mountain/Swannanoa Ministerial Association will host a prayer vigil for peace this Sunday (August 20) in the town park in Black Mountain.
The ecumenical vigil will start at 12:30. All people of faith and conscience are welcome to attend.
As many of you know, Robyn and I have been at the lake this week, enjoying one last bit of R & R before the students return and all our programs start back up at church.
But like all of you, we have been horrified by the news we’ve been reading this week.
I’ll make a fuller response to these events when I am back in the office. But I also know that many of you are already finding ways to respond, and to stand against racism and hate and violence.
It’s in our job description as Christian people to make peace and to wage hope, and to bear witness publicly to our foundational belief that love is a more excellent way.
Of course we do that as a congregation every time we gather for worship on Sunday morning, and we will do that again this week. In the afternoon, I hope that many of you will also be able to join people from a variety of faith and ethical traditions who gather to say no to violence and yes to peace, no to hate and yes to love.
Standing with you in spirit,
Steve