Several months ago, I was reading an article about praying for our country and this quote struck my heart, "If you pray for our country without knowing its history, you are praying irresponsibly." Right away I was stirred to learn more about the history of East St. Louis. So, I began on a search to learn more about where this city has come from, even from its early beginnings. I came across the e-mail address of an East St. Louis historian, named Bill Nunes. Earlier this month we met with him and spent two hours listening as he took us through a time line of beginning to present of the city of East St. Louis.
 
As we listened I was in shock to hear of the bloody history of this precious city. We learned so much, but the event that broke my heart the most was the 1917 East St. Louis Race Riots. 39 Black people were killed and 9 White people, all because of the hideous sin of racism. There is so much more information on how and why the race riots happened that I won't go into. But, since I have learned of this historical and painful event, this is what keeps ringing in my heart.... "this land of East St. Louis needs to be healed." I believe that the 1917 Race Riots were a huge wound to this city and it continued to go down hill from there.
 
Wounds from the past need to be healed. This blood stained city, needs to be healed by THE BLOOD OF JESUS. I have begun to ask God to heal her and to show me what this ministry needs to do to take action in that healing process. Finding out about the riots was not a hopeless moment, but an eye opening and hope filled moment. Because knowing the root of a problem is the first step in fixing the problem.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will HEAL their land.
 
If you are interested in learning more about the 1917 Race Riots, click on the links below;
http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=414

http://www.eslarp.uiuc.edu/IBEX/ARCHIVE/nunes/esl%20history/race_riot.htm

http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/east-st-louis-race-riot-july-2-1917