Greenbelters Unite in Peace At Church Candlelight Vigil

In a show of solidarity against the violence at the Charlottesville protest, members of the Greenbelt Community Church held a candlelight vigil on Wednesday, August 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. The vigil was organized by Rev. Glennyce Grindstaff after numerous citizens in the community requested that one be held. The vigil served as a time for prayer, peace and to unite against hate within the country. The evening of prayer, which lasted two hours, had a peak attendance of more than 110 people. In addition to lighting candles, attendees placed flowers in the memorial garden for those who died in the protest. Many attendees were members of the church. One such member, Earl Taylor, gave his opinion on the violence observed at the protest. “It’s clear that there are people who are hurting in ways that they can only express through hate and violence,” he said. “And the reasons for their pain are varied, but they aren’t clear about it. So they have to find somebody to take it out on because they can’t hold it all inside. They need prayers as much as anybody else.” In addition to prayer, Taylor believes that those who are hurting need courage to face their pain through nonviolent means.  For more on this story, click here and go to Page 4.