Grace UMC (file photo)
City faith leaders are encouraging people to practice peace with an upcoming event.
The Downtown Clergy, a group of Harrisburg Protestant and Catholic pastors, has organized a Peace Pilgrimage for Wednesday, hoping to inspire unity in the midst of national and local division.
“We’re so inundated with anger and fear and that can really eat away at folks. There’s this hunger for peace,” said Matthew Best, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church on S. 13th Street. “We were talking about things going on in the country and said, we really want to do something.”
The walk will begin on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Market Square Presbyterian Church and travel to Salem UCC, Zion Lutheran Church, Soldier’s Grove, Messiah Lutheran Church, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Grace UMC and Pine Street Presbyterian Church.
At each stop, pastors will share scripture with themes of peace, hold a moment of silence and pray.
Best emphasized that this is not a protest or political event and is open to everyone.
The group of clergy was inspired by the Buddhist monks walking for peace from Texas to Washington, D.C. They decided to do a small local walk due to the national division, as well as local division, as evidenced through a lawsuit between Harrisburg’s mayor and council.
And while Best hopes that the walk gives people a chance to settle their hearts and minds, he noted that the faith leaders don’t see peace as a passive state, but an active one of restoration.
“Here’s something we can do to settle our hearts and prepare to deal with these things,” he said.
Best advises people to bundle up for the weather and estimates that the walk will take around one and a half hours. For those who are unable to walk the whole route, people can participate in a portion of it.
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