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As the writer of Ecclesiastes says, “Two are better than one… If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up!… Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12).

In other words, we’re better together. 

Pastor Marvin King of First Baptist Church on Highland Street echoed this sentiment during an emotional prayer vigil Wednesday at Heritage Park. 

As King said, “We are Winchester. We are better together.” 

That was the sentiment of most of the prayers, Scripture readings, pastoral reflections and songs shared during the hour-long vigil, which was attended by more than 100 people. 

King gave a vulnerable and powerful message as he reflected on what it was like to be a black man in America. 

“We’ve raised each other’s children,” he said. “We’ve watched each other play on the ball field, and we’ve watched each other academically, socially and culturally, and I’m standing here today to put my food down and to say despite the anger and the frustration and the fear I have, I’m willing to put my fear down. Will you put yours down and can we stand together?”

At a time when racial division seems to be at an all time high, and amid the largest civil rights movement our country has ever seen, it was refreshing to see the churches in our community come together to denounce racism and tout unity. 

As was acknowledged at the vigil, the church can often seem like one of the most divided places in our country — with many congregations still essentially segregated by race. But that was not the case Wednesday night. 

Piggy-backing off a small peaceful protest in downtown Winchester last weekend, Clark County is setting an example of what it looks like to unite under a common cause. 

We praised the power of protest in our editorial in Tuesday’s edition. We would be remiss not to praise the power of prayer. 

Whether you believe in prayer or not, it united dozens of people this week for a cause that we should all get behind — loving our neighbors no matter the color of their skin and standing up against injustices. 

As the Scripture says, two are better than one, and three are better than two — but hundreds are even better. 

When that many people unite for one cause, change is inevitable. 

We are seeing that in our nation. 

Colorado has already passed reform aimed at providing greater oversight and transparency among police, which is a start to making America a safer place for all its citizens, especially people of color. We hope to see similar legislation passed across the U.S., including in Kentucky. 

We believe each person left Wednesday evening’s vigil with a more open mind and a more open heart. We also believe they left empowered and emboldened to make a difference here in Clark County. That change will ripple outward.  

That is a start. We hope to see the momentum remain. 

Editorials reflect the opinion of The Winchester Sun’s editorial board. To request a meeting with the board, email Editor Whitney Leggett at whitney. leggett@winchestersun.com.