Faith fueling prayer vigil after Renee Good’s death

Residents in Minneapolis used prayer to help process what is happening in the city and state.

“I really feel like the world is under siege right now, but it’s come to my hometown, and so I really feel like this is a tipping point,” said LeAnn Paulson, a Shoreview resident who was born in Minneapolis and came to a prayer vigil there held on Jan.14, at the exact place and moment

Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer one week earlier on Jan. 7.

“Get from behind your silos and your secret hidden places,” said Reverend June Pierce of Fellowship Minneapolis. “Speak truth to power and say that we will not stand for any evil and wickedness against our brothers and sisters because that is what being a Christian and a disciple of Jesus Christ is all about.”

The vigil started at 9:37 a.m. “It’s the exact moment Renee Good lost her life and the moment her three children lost their mother,” said Sheletta Brundidge, a community activist whose nonprofit, ShelettaMakesADifference.org (SheMAD), organized the prayer vigil purposely set for 3 hours, one hour for each of the bullets fired at Good.

“If your eyes aren’t open now, I don’t know that they will ever be,” said Paulson, who also described an intense feeling of love for the city and sadness at the recent events.

“I know I’m biased, but from my travels I’ve decided that this (Minneapolis) is the center of the universe in terms of enlightenment, intellectual achievement, and academic achievement,” Paulson explained. “I think we’re also the strongest, to be able to withstand the threat that we’re under right now.”

Participants at the prayer vigil signed up for 30-minute slots to stand in the cold and pray for Renee Good’s family, the city, state, and its residents. “I hope our neighbors and our friends understand the power of prayer and our faithfulness that they are not alone in this fight, for we have God fighting for us,” Rev. Pierce added. “It’s an honor to even be here, where this scene happened, because the atmosphere is different from how it was when I first came.”

Rev. Pierce said the site of Renee Good’s memorial feels more hopeful, a week after her death. “We have been in the national spotlight a lot, but that’s because we can be trusted to really come together as a community,” Rev. Pierce explained. “There have been people out here bringing us water and coffee and greeting us with a smile. Minneapolis is going to be a staple for what it looks like to really pull together during dire times.”

While many prayers were said during the 3-hour vigil, participants said it was most impactful to stand together and call attention to the need for peace, justice, and change. “The just keep your head down kinda thing, that doesn’t work,” Paulson added. “Anywhere you can be present and have your voice heard, I think, Amen.”