Video: Moving Forward Through Faith

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – Recent police shootings. Strained race relations. Both topics are fueling growing tension across the country, and of course, there are no easy answers.

Some say communication and understanding are the answers, but some local pastors believe in order to have those things, one vital key is missing.

“We still need the word of God. That’s what we are missing now. We’ve got everything else. We’ve got Facebook, textbook, and all of that, but we don’t have the word of God in our hearts. We read it, but we don’t have it in our hearts. If we ever could get back to the word of God in our hearts, then you would see that all of our situations around, would do a whole lot better.”

That’s what Pastor Al Lathan is driving home to his congregation.

Reverend Joseph Stone says churches taking a stand in the community will help put the word back in hearts.

“Trouble always runs people to the church, so I can imagine there will be an influx, but I think the issue is so deeply ingrained now, and the way our society works that the church can’t expect for people to run to us, we’re going to have to run to them.”

Reverend Stone says a “hot dialogue” between all sides will clear confusion and misinterpretations.

“I think the movement was started not to say that no other lives matter, but because of what’s happening in the African American community, that someone has to take a stand and say our lives matter just as well, and so things of that nature have to be cleared up because it’s not about black against white, or police against blacks, it’s about us coming together.”

Faith will lead to forgiveness. That step will unlock the problems people are chained to that’s causing tragic responses and hurt.

“Forgiveness is not so much about the person we’re forgiving, but it’s about us because it forces us to continue to be who we’re suppose to be,” says Lathan.

That’s what teen, Lance Trainer, is taking away from church sermons and conferences.

“You need to always think about a situation before you make a final decision, and also don’t be so quick to say things about people, and take the wrong perception. Just because they did one thing, don’t mean they’re going to do it again.”

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