Cooperation and forgiveness are message at 3rd HUG event
More than 600 turn out to hear the Rev. Manning of Mother Emanuel AME Church.
Scriptures from Ecclesiastes and the Gospel of Luke, which deal with the importance of working together and forgiveness, were at the heart of the Rev. Eric S.C. Manning’s speech at the Third Annual Hearts United Gathering in Rome on Thursday night. More than 600 turned out to hear him speak.
Manning has been pastor of the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, since June of 2016, a year after nine people were gunned down in 2015 by Dylann Roof during a Bible study at the historic AfricanAmerican church.
Quoting verses from Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12, (the Bible story of the cord of three strands), “We should be able to work together regardless of our political affiliation, regardless of our ethnicity, regardless of our gender, regardless of our economic status, to tear down the barriers that have been falsely erected to try to keep us apart,” Manning said.
Citing verses from Luke 23:33-34, where Jesus was nailed to a cross, Manning said the scene at Golgotha was “the epitome” of forgiveness. “I think realistically when you begin to peel back the layers of forgiveness, it’s challenging and a lot of time it’s easier said than done, and at times it becomes uncomfortable,” Manning said.
Manning saluted the efforts of the One Community United group which was formed three years ago to promote discussion and cooperation among people of all ethnic groups. He said the leaders of the One Community United effort are definitely on the right page.
“The only struggle would be becoming weary,
so I would encourage them to not grow weary but continue to work together,” Manning said. “Real change takes time.”
Manning spent the
whole day in Rome, speaking with clergy leaders at Lovejoy Baptist Church in South Rome earlier prior to the event downtown.
Manning said he hopes the work that is taking place in Rome would serve to help other communities seek to achieve the same thing.