"We can pray for peace and still love and support the men and women who have to look war in the face everyday. God, make a way for shalom."
Bloomington First Christian Church Associate Minister Kelley Becker, a Not In Our Town volunteer, in response to the Disciples Of Christ Church's message of support for the families of slain New York Police Department Officers Weinjan Liu and Rafael Ramos. "Their profession put them at risk and yet they served with courage," national Disciples General Minister and President Sharon Watkins wrote. "Lord, give us the strength and motivation to address the fragmentation in our culture and the brokenness of your people. Show us the way of wholeness, following the Prince of Peace, we pray."
The social movement #BlackLivesMatter, which has inspired multiple protests regarding reports of police abuse, publicly condemned the shootings, calling the act "senseless."
“An eye for an eye is not our vision of justice,” the group said in a statement. “We who have taken to the streets seeking justice and liberation know that we need deep transformation to correct the larger institutional problems of racial profiling, abuse, and violence.”