Let the Healing Begin

Justice and Peace Prayer and Action Rally

The 5th Precinct near Lake St and Nicollet Ave was the epicenter for day 3 and 4 of the riots. This is where the post office and bank were destroyed in a matter of minutes. A two mile stretch down E Lake St connects the 3rd and 5th Precincts, and it had over 200 businesses destroyed or burned. These are impoverished neighborhoods that are mostly immigrant residents and immigrant-owned small businesses.

The 5th precinct has been infamous for being the black eye / most oppressed area of Lake St.

It is also the neighborhood where Source has resided and served for 25 years. Source buildings are within 3 blocks of Lake and Nicollet and the National Guard diverted protesters / rioters at the end of our block.

A vision going forward and call to prayer

“Let the healing begin”

1) for the Lake St immigrant neighborhoods ravaged by riots

2) for decades of racial injustices that still exist in our culture

Lake and Nicollet: Prayer and Vision

Our hope is to come at this moment and lift up our voices and usher in healing. The loss of George Floyd’s life was a terrible tragedy, since he died at the hands of those who were supposed to protect him. We see that what was started as a tragedy and injustice would not only be a conduit for historic change in police and political culture but also for racial reconciliation and restoration throughout our culture and society. Each of us needs to first search our minds and actions to discover ways we need to change. Then we need to voice the need for change in our own networks and congregations, using our influence to spread racial reconciliation and restoration.

We believe this can start with expressions of prayer and acts of community. These Prayers and artistic expressions stand against racism and violence, and they stand for reconciliation and restoration.

Lake and Nicollet has been infamous as an area of oppression, poverty and victimization. May it be redeemed and rebuilt with a foundation from the kingdom of heaven made up of racial reconciliation and restoration, justice, celebration of diversity, peace, hope and grace. May all efforts in the days, weeks, months and years to come usher this in. May the Creator of the universe rip out any remaining oppression (from the destruction of the riots from years of racial injustice) and heal our people and land so that the future will be the change we all have dreamed about but have drawn weary to hope for. May divine hope and justice come!

Let the healing begin

At the Lake and Nicollet corner we hope to see:

a rallying point for local churches to pray and express desire for change and healing
a food shelf where people can bring donations and we will distribute to the neighborhood
a church service with multi-cultural worship teams
24/7 prayer tent
justice and peace prayer walks from 1) Lake and Nicollet to 2) George Floyd’s memorial and the site of his tragic death at Chicago and 38th to 3) the 3rd Precinct building that was destroyed and then back to Lake and Nicollet down East Lake Street where over 200 businesses were destroyed.
murals and art projects as prayer and intercession expressions

Overview of mural art project

Visually: each mural would be an iPhone taking a photo with hands holding camera of different skins color. The area outside the phone would reflect the oppression and injustices from the past, but on the screen of the phone would see the future vision and prayer, like seeing a building on fire but the screen of the phone shows the building restored and people feel safe and at peace. Artists can also choose to leave the space outside the phone blank
the murals would be an expression of prayer that reflect what it has looked like (outside of phone) and the hopes for a future (inside the phone)
this will spark an international connection with artists doing the same in their city in solidarity with Minneapolis and George Floyd for their vision of past injustices and vision for a better future.