Prayers for Peace Between Police, Civilians at Pointes NAACP Vigil

GROSSE POINTE FARMS, MI — About 200 faith leaders, community activists and others rallied for peace and healing at an eucmenical prayer vigil week at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial to promote peace and healing at a time of heightened tensions between police and civilians.

The vigil was organized by the Grosse Pointes-Harper Woods branch of the NAACP. Prayers for the safety of police and understanding and unity among all were offered by ministers and pastors from the following churches:

Grosse Pointe Unitarian, Grosse Pointe United Methodist, Christ Church Grosse Pointe Episcopal, Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, Grace Community Church, Grosse Pointe Woods Presbyterian, Crosspointe Christian, Phoenix Rising Ministries, St. Paul on the Lake Catholic and Renaissance Unity.

Greg Bowens, president of the local NAACP branch, said the gathering was to “practice the politics of peace and live the law of love.”

He cited a report known as “The Counted” by The Guardian newspaper that showed 1,147 people were shot in 2015 by law enforcement officers in 2015. So far this year, there have been 817 (as of 11 p.m. on Oct. 3), including 13 in Michigan.

• See Also: Here Are the 13 People Killed by Michigan Police So Far in 2016

Last year, 230 of the 1,147 people killed were unarmed, and 25 percent of those unarmed individuals were African-Americans

“I think (it’s time) to start the dialogue and (find) a better solution. … We haven’t yet figured out how to turn swords into plowshares,” Bowers said, challenging those in attendance to strive for zero deaths of police and civilians in 2017.

Crosspointe Christian Church pastor Matthew Swiatek, who serves as chaplain for the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Department, said police in general are unfairly targeted because of the actions of a few.

• See Also: Move to Form Grosse Pointes NAACP Gets Huge Response

“We live in a time when police — the God-ordained authorities — are hated, despised and targeted because they wear a uniform. … I pray that every officer would never have to use their gun, (and) that they would be able to do their job and go home,” Swiatek said.

» For more on this, go to the Grosse Pointe Times.

Photo by Anthony Easton via Flickr Commons