Vigils For Healing montage

Vigils for Healing is an interfaith community ministry based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina comprised of volunteer clergy and laity, under the guidance of an 11-member Advisory Group, who call on the power of God and a caring community to promote healing for everyone affected by murder; to reclaim the murder site and the surrounding neighborhood as a life-affirming space; to allow those affected by violence the opportunity to have their grief acknowledged and their voices heard; and to publicly proclaim that violence is unacceptable and requires all those who wish to promote justice and mercy to take action. The vigils we organize, called Vigils for Healing, are interfaith spiritual observances to mark loss of life in Forsyth County due to violence. The vigils are held outdoors at or near the murder site, usually several months after the murder. Loved ones of the victim, citizens living near the murder site, area congregations, and the general public are invited to attend. All are allowed time to speak. Vigils for Healing differ from traditional eulogies in that we don't just mourn the death of the victim and offer support to the victim's loved ones, although this is a main focus. A larger aim is to spiritually embrace everyone affected by the violent death - including those arrested for the murder and their loved ones, who surely also suffer, and those who live near the murder site; to reclaim the murder site as God's good creation; and to promote a larger conversation within our community about the causes and effects of violence. By providing members of our community the opportunity to physically 'stand with' those directly affected by violence, the vigils provide a forum for people from all walks of life to publicly express their commitment to non-violence and their empathy for the suffering of their neighbors. Currently there is an overwhelming silence from the community after loss of life due to violence. We feel that violent death deserves reflection and response, not complacency - especially when so many murders involve young people in their teens and twenties. We feel that to ignore this violence is to implicitly accept it. Ultimately, Vigils for Healing encourages the changing of community norms from a passive acceptance of violence to an active rejection of it on moral, ethical, and spiritual grounds. Visit us on the web at www.vigilsforhealing.org

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Vigils
• for
• Healing
• Violence
• Murder
• Family
• Justice
• Non-profit
• Interfaith
• Winston-Salem
• NC
• Ministry