Inclusive Justice Initiative Letter of Solidarity
City of Jacksonville
On August 26, three people were shot to death at a Dollar General Store in Jacksonville, Fla., in a racially motivated hate crime. A letter of solidarity from St. Thomas, signed by Fr. Peter and Jane Barnes (Inclusive Justice Initiative), was sent to the Mayor of Jacksonville, as well as to Bethel Baptist Church and St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church. Please hold the people of Jacksonville and all affected by hate crimes of any type in your prayers.
We members of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Naperville, Illinois, express our deep sadness for the murder of three people at the Dollar General store in the New Town area of Jacksonville. Our hearts ache for the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the horror of hatred and the violence it produces.
At the same time, we reaffirm that such hatred touches all of us in our country. This continuing racial violence in all its forms cries out to be renounced and rejected by all those who seek justice and peace. People everywhere must work together both to understand all the roots of this terrible condition that exists in our society and to eradicate it, so that no one must live in fear.
Please accept our promise that prayers for understanding, hope and healing will be accompanied by continued support for action to bring this about. May God’s love and peace, which will never be silenced, surround you. May it surround us all as we go forward.
In prayer and solidarity
