[Oe List ...] Prayers for Ferguson and Dellwood (St Louis, MO)

[RICHARD HOWIE via OE]

You are all in my Dentering Prayer this morning while dawn in  
breaking and a new day arrives.
Ellen
On Aug 11, 2014, at 11:46 AM, Ellie Stock via OE wrote:

>
>
> Greetings from St. Louis (Ferguson/Dellwood)~
>
> By now you have probably seen on national/internet media the news  
> about the black teenager who was shot and killed by a Ferguson  
> police officer last Saturday.  (Ferguson is where our ministerial  
> alliance is, where we have our Eco Team, and the location of the  
> Farmer's Market and Earthdance organic farm where we volunteer.  It  
> is also the location of our post office, bank and other businesses/ 
> restaurants we go to.)   After the shooting, crowds of residents  
> started gathering, remaining into Sat urday evening and Sunday  
> morning.
>
> Sunday we returned from doing an Earth Care Congregation  
> presentation at St Charles PC (west of St Louis) to learn there was  
> a prayer vigil in Ferguson regarding  the shooting. We were not  
> aware (neither was our ministerial alliance) that a vigil had been  
> planned (by outside groups), and it ended about the time we  
> returned home.  In the evening.  That evening, another peaceful  
> vigil was held which we did not attend.  Other segments of the  
> crowd milling around the street turned violent--vandalizing and  
> looting businesses in Ferguson, torching and destroying a Quicktrip  
> gas station, then moving north on W. Florissant to Dellwood (where  
> we live), looting businesses just down the street from our former  
> church's building and few blocks from our home.  Zisser's Tire and  
> Auto Dealer, also completely looted, was where we used to have our  
> cars serviced before we got our Prius and know the owners.  The  
> police/fire dept computers were hacked and sabotaged, and all the  
> police and elected leaders have received death threats.
>
> Sunday night we heard the wailing of sirens outside and the police  
> helicopter hovering overhead.  We watched it all unfold on live TV  
> coverage until after midnight.  I woke up before 6am to the sound  
> of a news media helicopter.
>
> It is so sad and frustrating, as Ferguson and Dellwood have worked  
> very hard to build community and attract businesses, and the  
> churches and other organizations have worked over the years to  
> address issues of racism and economic inequity.  Unfortunately,  
> this violence detracts from the original issue of the teen's death  
> and the underlying racial tension and disparity in so many  
> communities.  Our ministerial alliance is now discerning how best  
> to engage in this situation.  When the media is all gone, we will  
> still be left with the follow-up and real work.
>
> There is a community meeting tonight with the NAACP, Al Sharpton,  
> etc., but I fear it could be hijacked by more media-centric or  
> violent elements.  Carleton is still deciding whether or not to  
> attend.
>
> Please remember the Ferguson situation in prayer.  Presently  
> another peaceful demonstration is filling the streets and the  
> helicopters are still hovering...
>
> Ellie
> elliestock at aol.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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