15th Annual Wheeling Heritage Trail Bicycle Tour Opening Prayer

Clergy are sometimes asked to pray at non-religious community events. I composed and prayed this opening Prayer at the 15^th Annual Wheeling Heritage Trail Bicycle Tour, Wheeling, WV,  May 30, 2022 

Great God, by whatever name we call upon you,
however we know you,
we thank you for the opportunity to cycle on our local rail trails, streets, and roads.
As we cycle this Memorial Day,
in the 15^th Annual Wheeling Heritage Trail Bicycle Tour,
keep our rims true, our tires strong,
our chains lubed, our gears aligned,
and the wind always out our backs.
Keep us safe from accident or incident,
and without any of us suffering harm,
return us back here to Heritage Port later today
with 100 kilometers, 30 miles, 10 miles, or whatever
under our wheels.
As we cycle this Memorial Day holiday,
may we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation,
and with their lives paid the price for our freedom,
including the freedom to gather here today
to cycle for fun, for exercise,
and to support local trails and the Ohio Valley Trail Partners.
And let all the cyclists and people say, Amen.

The Reverend Dr. John Edward Harris,
Pastor, Bethlehem United Presbyterian Church, 
Wheeling (Bethlehem), WV

Reinterpreting the Second Amendment

 

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, reads:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

The mass shooter who took the lives of so many in Uvalde, Texas, like most other mass shooters and other perpetrators of gun violence in the United States, was not part of any sort of well regulated Militia. Members of well regulated Militias generally do not kill innocent people, especially with military style guns designed primarily for use by well regulated Militias such as the United States Armed Forces, including the National Guard, and Law Enforcement.

I favor common sense gun safety legislation, including limiting sale and ownership of most guns, other than those used for hunting, to current members and retired and honorably discharged members of the United States Armed Forces and Law Enforcement agencies. Let anyone who wants to purchase a gun, other than a gun used primarily for hunting, present proof of service or former service in the Military or in Law Enforcement.