Religious leaders from across the theological and political spectrum are calling for peace — with some adding demands for social change — in the aftermath of a Missouri grand jury's decision not to indict a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, over the Aug. 9 shooting of an unarmed black teenager. And, mirroring the divided nature of public reaction, religious leaders were equally divided over the outcome.
The announcement Monday that Ferguson officer Darren Wilson would not be charged in the shooting of Michael Brown ignited new riots in Ferguson and protests around the country, despite calls for calm from Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., as well as President Barack Obama and other leaders.
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Rev. Jim Wallis, a leading voice of the evangelical left, issued a call for societal change in an article at Sojourners, the magazine he founded. Wallis claimed the justice system must "be subjected to the requirements of racial justice."
Wallis wrote, "How law enforcement interacts with communities of color raises fundamental, legitimate issues that must be addressed by the whole nation if we are to move forward."