Local church works to restore peace among community members

(Seguin) — A local church today is inviting the community to gather in downtown Seguin for a time of prayer, peace, and unity.

Crossroads Church is hosting Hope Rises in Seguin: A Community Day of Prayer and Peace from 12 to 1 p.m. in Central Park. Organizers say the event will include worship, prayer for the city and nation, and a special moment of reflection at 12:23 p.m.

Natalie Avalos of Crossroads Church says the goal is to bring people together in faith during a time when many feel divided.

“What it is about is bringing back a community to a day of prayer and to a day of peace,” said Avalos. “There is so much turmoil in the world right now and we really do more for our world when we are unified and not diversified and the cross had a thief next to Jesus who had possibly broken the law — we don’t know because it’s hard to judge from our side and that’s exactly (the point) – this will not be a place where we will be judging. This will not be a place where we are raising up any particular person because there is only one person that we at Crossroads Church serve and that’s Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Jesus which Jesus’s Gospel – what it says is that we should have love. They will know you by your love. They will know you by your light and so what we are trying to bring back in our hearts is light.”

Avalos explains that the gathering will include a moment of prayer for the family of national figure Charlie Kirk, though the event itself is not political.

“This is going to happen downtown – Central Park between 12 and 1 p.m.,” Avalos said. “We are going to have a slight pause at 12:23 p.m. to honor and pray for the wife and daughters of Charlie Kirk but it is not a political place. It’s not going to be political. What it’s about — is telling people that when darkness tries to still hope and Jesus calls us to stand together – what we need to do is pray for our city. What we need to do is pray for our nation. What we need to do is bring back worship into our homes and declare that we are not those who shrink back from being positioned for peace and unity because that is what the world really needs right now. There’s no room or there shouldn’t be any room for division regardless of what side of the political party you stand on. This is not about that. This is not about whether you are Catholic or Protestant or Judeo Christian or Muslim or any of that. This is just simply bringing light to the world when we find ourselves in dark places.”

Organizers say the event is open to residents of all religious backgrounds. Lawn chairs and blankets encouraged.