The last 12 months have brought us many unprecedented events that have had a real impact on us as a community and a people.  The situation with COVID has upended many lives and livelihoods as we've been forced to adapt to crippling shutdowns, loss of employment, and heavy restrictions amid the safety concerns of the pandemic.  Social unrest in the summer of 2020 and subsequent protests have in many ways served to divide our nation's communities further along social, racial and economic lines.  The partisan bickering of politicians has fueled unrest and created an uneasy climate that threatens to destabilize the very institutions that form the foundation of our Great Nation.  

In the midst of all this contention, it is important to remember that our purpose is to advance a condition of Peace.

Our DCCS founders sought "to abolish war and bloodshed of all kinds" in their "absolute belief that Almighty God cannot, under any condition, be pleased with this type of action or with anyone engaged in the same."  It is immoral and against everything we believe in to violate the sanctity of any person's self, or their property, including the property of our Nation's institutions.  The DCCS strongly condemns any use of violence.

In the coming days and weeks, all are reminded to judge based on principle, to be tolerant of different view points and to forgive when we perceive that we have been wronged.  The Golden Rule tells us to "do unto others as we would have done unto us."  Though we may disagree, we believe in Free Agency and each others right to exist.  We believe that all individuals have the right to do whatever they choose as long as they do not force, suppress, restrain, deprive, jeopardize, or interfere with the rights of others.  We should defend others rights the same as we would defend our own.

Remember the phrase from our nation's pledge of allegiance, "One Nation, Under God, Indivisible" and that God has endowed us with divine traits as members of the Human family.  We are not Democrats or Republicans, but Americans; brothers and sisters of this One American Nation under God.  Let us all remember to be our brother's keeper and watch out for our neighbor whether we agree with them or not.