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Vigil held in Goshen in hopes to bring community together against violence


WSBT 22 Photo// Heather Black
WSBT 22 Photo// Heather Black
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With sounds of violence echoing in our cities across the country, people in Goshen are raising their voices in prayer hoping to bring their own community together.

Walking for justice and peace was the main focus of Wednesday night's walk throughout Goshen.

A number of people walked two miles through downtown hoping to put an end to racial divide and violence in their own hometown.

"We came up with this prayer walk. We call it a prayer walk not a protest but we want to acknowledge our complicity in some of the systems that have helped create a racial divide and also our confession," said Mark Schloneger, Pastor of North Goshen Menonite.

Vigil goers walked two miles through town. Making stops at places like the Release Center to pray for those incarcerated. Then heading to the Goshen police station where they prayed for law enforcement.

At each stop they made sure to lift up those who were killed in the last week such as Baton Rouge, Dallas and Minnesota.

Vigil goers say it's their way of grieving with the country while blending the diversity within their own town.

"It seems that it's a local way of expressing our solidarity with people all over our country who are mourning at this time because of our disparity because the lack of unity," said vigil goer, Kathryn Aschliman.

"We are part a diverse community for which I am thankful and we need to get together and see each other more and cooperate and do these kinds of things to stand together," said vigil goer, Marie Stoltfus.

Pastor Mark Schloneger hopes the prayer walk will make the community stand up for what is right.

"As Christians we believe before we can do anything we have to confess our own ways in which we have been silent. We've been apathetic. We have not acted. Spoken out," said Pastor Schloneger. We have seen things happen and my hope is that through this walk is just the beginning that we won't go back."

Along the walk they held signs with the names of those killed within the last week-- including the two Berrien County bailiffs.

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