FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Several hundred gathered at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale for a community peace rally in honor of Trayvon Martin.
In attendance Tuesday evening were community leaders, parishioners, as well as Broward Sheriff Scott Israel and Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderly.
"We will use our greatest and most powerful tool, that is the power of prayer," said Rev. Lori Morton, director of Counseling and Family Ministries at Mount Olive.
"In the end, leave this place saying, 'Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me,'" she said.
Parishioners prayed for the justice system, for peace and for the state of Florida.
"What's we're doing tonight is recognizing that people are angry, recognizing that people are upset, recognizing that people are in a very odd place right now regardless of what side you're on," said Marcus Davidson, a pastor at Mount Olive.
They also prayed for George Zimmerman and his family.
"We do need to pray for George Zimmerman and his family," said Amber Young. "He is going to suffer a lot of hatred and a lot of problems, and we do need to uplift him in prayer as well."
The message at the church was of peace, but in South Florida there hasn't been anything but peace.
Israel was criticized for last week's public service announcement that seemed to show the Sheriff's Office was anticipating riots. Israel disagreed.
"It wasn't that at all, and people would be misreading it. These would be naysayers misreading it," Israel said. "What we were doing was praying and hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, and that's what good leaders do."