I'm going to be perfectly honest here: this nation has plunged into a vast amount of suffering. Violence runs rampant. Innocent lives have been put at stake and taken. Some of these events we are very well aware of, and some, unfortunately, we are not.

We just can't seem to get a break, can we?

Nearly every waking moment, something goes wrong here. For most of us, our vision of humanity has been ruined. All of these tragic incidents are happening, and we think there's absolutely nothing we can do about it, so we decide to stand idly by and watch as our nation and our world begins to slowly unravel.

That is our first mistake.

On April 5, 1968, the day after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy gave a speech to the City Club of Cleveland titled, "On the Mindless Menace of Violence." In the beginning, he ponders over what good violence has ever done for this world.

"...violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation..."

The answer? Obviously, nothing. It's the spoon that stirs the pot. It's fighting fire with fire which creates an even greater flame.

He also states that there is no specific action we can take or remedy to prevent these acts of violence, but the reasoning behind them were due to the vast amount of oppression and alienation of minorities. The future generation was taught that those who didn't look or think alike was the enemy even though they shared the same community.

Unfortunately, to this day, we continue to follow this pattern. It's safe to say that we're a pretty diverse nation. A melting pot. However, we continue to treat those who are different as if they have no place here. Hatred has become widespread among our community, and it's being taken to tragic extremes. The question on all of our minds is this: how do we stop it? When will it end? When will there ever be a change? Well, I can say one thing: it's not going to change if we just sit here and wait. Change can start with a simple yet powerful first step.

It all starts with prayer.

Psalm 107: 28-30 says, "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven."

No matter how bad things may seem, we have to remember The Lord is still in charge. He is greater than any kind of evil, and will prevail in the end. The power of prayer is greater than we can imagine.

Change can also start with a simple act of kindness. Even though someone may express hatred towards you, retaliation is not the answer. Kind words and small expressions of love can go a long way. It may seem like a useless solution to the damage that's been done and the lives that have been lost but eventually, we will see a change in our society.

At the moment, the future of our nation may seem hopeless, but keep in mind who's really in charge and what He is capable of. My heart is broken for the people in Dallas, Baton Rouge, and Minnesota. I hope that each of you know that we, as a unified nation, are thinking about and praying for you.

Let change start with you. Pray continually, and be kind to others. Don't wait for the world to change itself.

- Lacey Franklin