Election night is an important night for our country, and the entire world. The night is a stressful for the citizens who are refreshing the election results and seated in front of their TVs to see who the next President will be.
The United Church of Gainesville offered an alternative election night that promoted peace, by gathering its members to join them in the walking of a labyrinth, song, dance and prayer.
Sherry Wilson, the senior minister at the United Church of Gainesville said that as a congregation, they wanted to offer a night of peace, a night of centeredness and prayer.
“Whatever the outcome, whatever the results, that the earth itself and the people and the animals, and all of us will be benefitted by holding an intention and energy for peace,” Wilson said.
A group of 30 people, who were members of the church, took the first 30 minutes to walk the labyrinth.
“There’s a lot of unrest and a fractured feeling in the general public and perhaps some fear, too,” Nurallah Briseno, who led the dances, said.
"This night of peace brings everyone to the center to allow us not to worry about tomorrow. ... It gives us a feeling of just knowing that everything is going to be all right,” Briseno said.
Even though Jeff Shapiro, a member of the church, voted two weeks ago, the election night can’t leave his thoughts.
“I’ve been paying a lot of attention, so yeah, it’s in my mind,” Shapiro said. “And so we did this to relax and escape for a few moments.”