Tonight I went to the weekly Bible Study at the church. Here are some of the prayer requests that were raised.
"Please be with a member of our church as a shooting happened two houses down from him this evening" (we drove by the street and the police car on the way home from church)
"Please be with a little girl from the church as her neighbor was shot right in front of her and she was shaken up by the situation"
"Please be with a member of our church as both of her sons are in jail right now and she is taking care of their children"
"Please be with a member of our church as she is living in a really rough area and wants to move"
Afterwards I sat and talked with a wonderful lady from the church. She was telling me about all the shootings that take place on her street, and the people who have been murdered. She told me she is lucky though, because her area is pretty safe and God protects her.
I feel so completely sheltered when I come here. Since when is it normal to have shootings take place on your street, or as a little child watch your neighbor be shot to death? Despite the overwhelming pain and need that exists, there are also glimmers of hope. There is the husband that the church was able to get into a drug and alcohol program that has been clean for many years now and is a wonderful husband and father to his family. There is the lawyer whose life was completely changed through the ministry of the church and now he gives free legal services to those in need that the church refers to him.
To me this is Philly; raw, painful and totally awesome.
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