July 15, 2024
The Council of Bishops lifted up the statement from Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, Western Pennsylvania Conference, following the events of this past weekend. She said in part, “Our hearts are grieving and broken due to the tragic events surrounding the attempted assassination of former president and presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, Donald Trump. I implore all to pray for the family and loved ones of the man who was killed and those who suffered critical physical injury. I also implore us to pray for those who undoubtedly suffered emotional injury due to the trauma of all that they saw and heard.” Read full statement…
Across the connection, peacemaking is at the heart of what leaders are sharing and reflecting on.
“The Rev. Chris Morgan choked up as he prayed at worship, the day after the attempted assassination of the current candidate and former President Donald Trump. To say the violence felt uncomfortably close to home would be an understatement.
Christ United Methodist Church in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, where Morgan is senior pastor, stands just blocks from where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, lived. Church members knew both the 20-year-old Crooks, killed by Secret Service agents, and Corey Comperatore, the firefighter who died protecting his family from the shots fired at the Trump rally in Butler, about 54 miles north.
After praying for all affected by the violence including the former president and the family of the shooter, Morgan called for prayer for “our country.”
“Democrat, Republican, independent, is irrelevant,” he said. “It is about showing people the love of Christ.”” Read the full article from UM News…