After Election, Locals Take Part In National ‘Day of Healing & Reconciliation’

Love, faith and hope was the focus of the local dialogue on the “Day of Healing and Reconciliation,” co-sponsored by the Interfaith Community of Lower Bucks (ICLB) and The Peace Center (TPC) at the First Baptist Church of Langhorne on Sunday, November 13.

More than 50 people attended the local event where discussion followed a livestream Facebook broadcast, led by Stephen Dinan, author and the event lead organizer, at the Unity Church in Washington, DC. Dinan is the author of “Sacred America: Fulfilling Our Country’s Promise.”

The Langhorne gathering was among many of the other places of worship across the country participating in the event. Included were: music, political leaders, cultural leaders, prayer, and more — all in service to coming back together as one America after the bitter presidential election.

Others participating in the livestream broadcast from the nation’s capital were: Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Ben Carson, Marianne Williamson, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dinan and many others.

The post-presidential election event allowed people to share their hopes and concerns.  “Many people have felt marginalized at best and discriminated against and targeted at worst,” said Barbara Simmons, executive director of TPC.

She said the community needs to come together, find inspiration in one another and work towards unity. 

Meanwhile, Rev. N. Luke Mason, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Langhorne, empowered the group.

“It is our responsibility to come together as a nation to support the president that we have elected,” he said.

“It is also our place to respect one-another for the different views and attitudes that we have in regard to our political views,” Mason added. ”We cannot take another four years of being at a stalemate politically.”

Gayle Evans, an educator at The Peace Center, led the discussion in Langhorne and said the process of healing could take years, but is very necessary.

Linda Sally, president of the African-American Museum of Bucks County, explained she is very emotional about what is happening now. She is afraid.

“We’re going to get up and we’re going to do what has to be done,” Sally said.

“We’re going to teach our children to love and not hate.”

According to Sally, the American flag has “lost its credibility.”

Meanwhile, The Peace Center’s Evans talked about recent acts of reported violence and hate crimes in the Council Rock School District that were related to the election.

“We saw a swastika painted on bathroom walls, derogatory comments made about gays and lesbians, and people of different colors,” she said.

“We’ve seen a young lady who received a note for her to go back to Mexico which was tucked into her school bag,” Evans said.

The Peace Center educator also recounted a personal story of something shocking that she recently witnessed just a block away from the First Baptist Church.

“I saw a pick-up truck riding through the intersection with a huge Confederate flag flying,” she noted.

“This is your community,” Evans stressed. “We have to do something about it. It’s not okay.”

Evans’ mother, Doris Randolph, told the audience that it is necessary to fight for what is right.

“There’s no place for that,” she said. “Do you think I’m going to let my grandson be affected by it? No. I’m going to fight it for as long as I can.”

Norma Teet, a member of Macedonia Baptist Church in Newtown Borough, said, “I do believe that a big part of this issue is that we need prayer.”

One woman said why she wanted to attend the event. “I could be watching this alone in my computer room but …I want to be part of this community for the healing process and to move forward together.”

Natalie Kaye, IFCLB chairperson, said, “I feel very hopeful that there were so many people here today to watch the Facebook broadcast and to express themselves. I’m grateful that we gave people a forum in which to talk and say how they were feeling. I think that’s part of the healing process. And I’m grateful to have been a part of the Day of Healing and Reconciliation. I trust that this will be an ongoing process.”