Christians Look to Church to Make Sense of Recent Violence

 

America is still in mourning from the violence that occurred on three consecutive days last week. Over the weekend, many American Christians sought healing through church services.

 

ABC News reports that people gathered at churches around the nation to mourn the violence and tragic loss of lives and prayed for healing.

 

On Tuesday (July 5), Alton Sterling, an African-American man, was shot and killed by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On Wednesday (July 6), another African-American man, Philando Castile, was shot dead by a police officer in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. Then on Thursday evening, at an otherwise peaceful Black Lives Matter protest, a gunman shot police officers, killing five and wounding seven.

 

Many Christian leaders spoke out against the violence and offered prayer, as ChristianHeadlines.com previously reported. Christians also looked to their pastors and church communities to find answers and healing from the week’s events.

 

Bishop T. D. Jakes, the pastor of the Potter’s House megachurch in Dallas, spoke about the violence to his congregation, praising the bravery of the Dallas police officers:

 

"When wickedness raised its head, they stood up for our protection.” Jakes also called for unity among "black folks, and white folks, and brown folks.”

 

Eric Elikin of Easter Lutheran Church in Eagan, Minnesota, about 15 miles from St. Paul, acknowledged that “The nation is wounded.”

 

More protests have continued throughout the country in response to the racial tension and violence. Most protests have been peaceful, although 200 people were arrested at protests in Baton Rouge and St. Paul on Saturday night.