United In Message of Peace: Law Enforcement, Black Community Look for Common Ground At Church

Liberty County Sheriff Bobby Rader quotes one of the eight beatitudes to describe his opinion of law enforcement. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God,” Rader recites during a unity service on Thursday, July 14, at the C. C. Driver Revival Center in Cleveland.

On the heels of the July 7 slayings of five Dallas police officers, believed to be retaliation for the officer-involving shooting deaths of two men in Louisiana and Minnesota, the C.C. Driver Revival Center in Cleveland hosted a unity service on Thursday, July 14.

On the day of the service, no one expected that the nation soon would be dealing with another massacre of police officers — this time on Sunday, July 17, when three Baton Rouge police officers were killed by a lone gunman, also believed to be in retaliation to the officer-involved shootings.

Gary Driver, pastor of the predominantly black church founded by his late father, described the feelings that much of the nation feels at this time.

“We are sorrowful just as the nation is sorrowful. We all know too well as we turned on our TV sets this week what is happening,” Driver said. “We, as a nation, have lost some innocence. We, as a nation, have lost some peace.”

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SOURCE: Cleveland Advocate – Vanesa Brashier