Grace and peace, friends.

The call came last Saturday night around 5:30 from one of our pastors. As I answered the phone, he simply said, “Have you heard?” As I was unaware of what was happening, his instructions were as follows: “You might want to turn on the news.”

Those moments are moments you don’t forget.

In light of the recent attempted assassination on the life of former President Donald Trump, like many of you, my heart is heavy, and many in our nation are still reeling from the images and videos that followed the rally. I think it’s important we all remember that, regardless of our political affiliations, it is essential for us to come together as a community of faith to seek God’s guidance and peace during these challenging times.

As followers of Christ, we are called to be peacemakers and to love our neighbors, even in the midst of strife and uncertainty. Remember, Jesus prayed the following in John’s Gospel, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21).

Now more than ever, my encouragement to us all is that we pray. We mustn’t forget the power found in prayer.

We pray for the victims in last week’s shooting.
We pray for the many who witnessed this attack and the evil intended.
We pray for Donald Trump and his family, as well as our current president, Joe Biden.

Let’s continue to pray for our nation and for an end to this violence and division. Let us ask God to grant us wisdom, unity and compassion as we navigate these difficult days.

Matthew 5:9 reminds us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Let us embody this call to peace and strive to be beacons of hope and love in our communities.

In Jesus’ mighty name.

– Mark