Congregations in Alexandria gathered Monday to pray for unity and national healing after the presidential election.
A number of churches in the area held pre-election prayer services to preach peace and respect in the wake of one of the more divisive presidential races in recent history. Emmanuel Episocpal Church in Alexandria is one of many churches in the area that hosted prayer services centered on the election. The pastor said the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia called on all its churches to hold a vigil of some kind ahead of voting, reports WUSA9.
Pastor Joani Peacock said it is not about politics but to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
“I think those are values that as Americans we can hopefully all rally around,” Peacock told WUSA9.
The services did not mention any political parties, ideologies, policies or candidates. The congregations simply prayed for the American people and for the next president.
Fairlington United Methodist Church, also in Alexandria, preached national healing during their service Monday night. The election season has turned many residents against each other and sparked fear in some neighborhoods about expressing political beliefs.
“We do believe that we work best as people when we are commonly aligned,” Pastor Mary Beth Blinn told WUSA9. “The person who takes that job, who is elected to that position, is going to need all the help they can get.”
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