FORT SILL, Okla., July 14, 2016 -- About 90 community leaders, Soldiers and civilians gathered July 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Frontier Chapel here to pray for the nation.
Chap. (Col.) John Morris, installation chaplain, said the recent acts of violence on or about July 7 concerned a lot of people he talked to. He alluded to the attack in Dallas, plus the shootings in Baton Rouge, La., and near Minneapolis.
"Like everyone across the nation the news out of Dallas was just shattering. When I came to work that day I realized I need to reach out to our law enforcement officials and see how they're doing," he said.
Morris found the same combination of grief, shock and fear among those he talked to along with a "longing for members of our community to be at peace with each other.
"Several people asked for personal prayer and out of that came the idea to have a gathering of our Fort Sill community to pray for our nation, our law enforcement and grieving families," said Morris.
He hoped the gathering of faiths would be seen as a show of unity and a restoration of trust in the immediate community.
The prayer service included silent prayer and reflection time as well as public prayers of petition.
Chaplains led prayer for healing and peace in communities and the nation, for grieving families, elected leaders and the clergy.
Being the head of Fort Sill's clergy, Morris already invites people to come pray on post the fourth Friday each month, which usually has about 15-20 people attend.
Following that prayer vigil, Morris toured post to talk with people, especially minorities, to get their feelings in the aftermath of the July 7 bloodshed.
Veronica Lewis said she appreciated that Morris visited her at the Personnel Control Facility July 8 and prayed with her and her co-workers.
"It was wonderful to come in today and see he put together this prayer service," said Lewis, a legal assistant. "We're afraid, everybody's afraid. My black friends are afraid, my white friends are afraid, my kids are afraid. The only way I know how to not be afraid is to pray."
Many people seemed to share that sentiment as Morris was pleased to see a great turnout of people who stepped out to intercede for others, for the nation, and perhaps for their own concerns July 11.
"This was overwhelming -- a great outpouring from our community of Lawton. We had the chief of police, garrison commander and deputy commander as well as a cross-section of those who serve and live here," he said. "Also, we saw a good representation of the diversity of our post, both religiously and ethnically. I think symbolically that's what we're praying that we could all get together and learn to trust each other, see a downturn in violence and an upturn in respect and mutual care."
1st Lt. Ashley Justice, B Battery, 1st Battalion, 30th Field Artillery, said she was glad to see people of different faiths come together to pray for a common goal and purpose.
Recalling recent incidents, Justice said it was good to see people protesting and exercising their right to voice their opinions. She added it's good to see law enforcement professionals at rallies to keep the peace, however, that all vanished in something she called "deeply disturbing," the people who are "messed up on so many levels who take advantage in a bad way" that exercise of free speech and hurt or kill others.
"My husband and I pray a lot and these are things we definitely pray for," she said. "Anytime we see people suffering we try to reach out and help them."
That help came in a simple act of goodwill to Fort Sill police officers.
"I made it a point to shake their hands and thank them," said Justice. "I have a lot of respect for police officers who many times are responding to situations where people aren't happy to see them because they are doing something wrong."
Morris closed the service with a call to law enforcement professionals to come forward if they would like to be prayed over.
He said he understands the call to go overseas to fight an enemy. But, in contrast to that, many police officers are stepping out into their communities and becoming targets for random acts of violence.
Dwayne Hall, an ecumenical prayer leader from Lawton, proceeded to lay hands on each police officer and fervently pray for them.
Elmer Greer, a retired command sergeant major, said he was glad for the opportunity to come out to post, to pray for the police officers, who "need our support" as well as the nation.
"To be pulled together and pray like this will surely help our nation," he said.
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