When I look out my office window this morning, I see Central’s Maple Street lawn. It is a bit brown this morning because last week, every morning, it was filled with children from our community playing on it as a part of our  CommUNITY Vacation Bible School, and I can almost still see them playing together out there, the children from so many congregations in town. I also see our flag flying at half-staff, honoring the people murdered over the weekend in El Paso and Dayton. And it seems to me that the two things that I am seeing outside my office window represent an important choice that we are facing. We can work toward building a community where we come together despite our differences, to learn with each other and from each other to the point where our differences become the beauty that we celebrate. Or we can give in to the fear of each other and to the hate and the violence that flows from that fear. One choice might lead to some trampled grass but also to the happy memory of children laughing and playing together. The other leads only to solemn vigils and half-staff flags. We are not helpless in this, I believe. The choice is ours which future we will be a part of building.

–Pastor Don Steele