“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

MARCHA, Methodist Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans, laments the loss of precious lives to hate and violence over the past 24 hours in El Paso Texas and Dayton Ohio. We pray for peace and comfort for the families and communities mourning these senseless murders.

We are alarmed by how the evils of white supremacy, racism and xenophobia continue to rapidly spread through all levels of our nation and society, and the lack of leadership of those in positions of power and influence to address them effectively.

Rooted in our core values and commitment to the gospel,

We call all United Methodist and other people of faith and good will to pray for all impacted by these horrific acts of violence and demand our elected leaders to address these issues with urgency.

We call the General Conference of The United Methodist Church to unequivocally denounce the evil of White Supremacy and declare it incompatible with Christian teachings.

And, we call the US Congress and the President to enact federal legislation that set stronger gun controls policies including comprehensive background checks and mental health assessments.

MARCHA’s prayer

For those lost to hate and violence and the communities mourning in Texas and Ohio, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For the first responders and caregivers, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For the people of the USA, resurrect our instincts to honor our common humanity and our compassion to the suffering of our neighbor, beyond empty words. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For those in positions of power and influence, grant them the will and courage to protect life over “freedom” to kill. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Person: Bishop Elias Galvan, Galvan222@msn.com 7