October 30-A Call to Worship and Prayer
Many of you probably remember the dark days of “Devil’s Night” in Detroit in the 1980s. October 30th, the night before Halloween, was known as a night of mischievous pranks and jokes in many places around the world. Although, this may have started in Europe with no evil intention, its name suggested the opposite.
In Detroit, fueled by deteriorating housing, economic crisis, and joblessness, the date turned into a night of mass arson and vandalism gaining international attention. In 1984, over 800 fires were started in abandoned buildings and houses around our city. That night has been called a “scream made of fire”, as it was viewed by many as the only way to be seen and heard in the midst of hopelessness and neglect.
What a tragic and sad story. From the perspective of all the damage inflicted, and from the perspective of all of those who felt so desperate to bring harm to their own city; there were no winners. Just a big display of brokenness all around. A lot more could be said about that night. I imagine that for some of you, who have been here long enough, this story might bring up very unpleasant feelings. That’s not my intention.
I just want to remind us that, despite the horrible things our city has witnessed (and continues to do so in other ways). In spite of the ongoing chaos happening all over the world, this is not how things end. Evil has ways of showing its face. Tragedy can strike at any moment. There’s darkness within ourselves that only Light can dissipate.
Thankfully, death does not have the final word. The Light of Christ has prevailed. All the brokenness we see around us and within ourselves is so contrary to God’s will, He made sure to reconcile all of us and his whole creation unto Himself. We have reason to celebrate and take a stand.
