by Connie Carmany 4/27/21
Tuesday morning at 6:15 a.m. with the looming edifice of the McKinley Monument barely visible in the lingering darkness, I trudged up the 96 steps to the platform on top, where a couple of dozen individuals, about half of them black and half of them white, were patiently awaiting. How strange, I thought, was this weekly trek up the steps of the monument to gather with a group of people I barely know, and didn’t know at all a year ago, yet feel strangely like family. So what and who brings us here, and why?
Some of you may have read an article in the Canton Repository, as did I, early last summer, featuring a young man named Brad Tyson, who, in answer to social unrest and tension over race relations, called for a “Reset” in Canton. He called for people of all races to come together to pray for our city and county and to talk with each other about important issues. “Why is it that white people don’t hang out with black people and black people don’t hang out with white people?” he asked.
City officials cancelled the event he had planned due to COVID-19 concerns, but I got to meet Brad. He is an impressive but humble young man of faith who has a genuine concern for the people of Stark County and wants to bring people together for the good of all of us. “Unity doesn’t start in the White House, it starts in our house!” he stated. Not to be deterred by the forced cancellation, he said he would re-group and find another way to get people together.
So he organized the “Sunrise Prayer” as he calls it, at the top of the McKinley monument steps where we can watch the sunrise over the city as we view the city itself. It is only organized by word of mouth. I have been to almost all of them. For about 45 minutes, we pray for the needs of our community, our schools, our youth, our children, our families our safety personnel, our churches, our leaders. We pray for an end to the violence, the drug addiction, the rapes, the shootings. We pray for the people in our community to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Brad also has organized outreaches to the community. We went into southeast Canton to pass out snacks and pray for people in need. We helped to pass out food and clothing on another occasion. We were asked to come to a local school building to pray for children and staff going back to school. We have handed out food and drinks and clothing and prayed over people and buildings and events in our community. If you are a school teacher, administrator, staff person, student, we have prayed for you. If you are a first responder, we have prayed for you. If you are a healthcare worker, we have prayed for you. If you are a drug addict, a criminal, a homeless person, the victim of a crime, and hurting in any way, we have prayed for you. So, Cantonians, Stark County residents, know that there are people who care about you and are praying for you!
The “Sunrise Prayer” group is still meeting, but we have been meeting in different churches and places around the city throughout the winter and spring so far. We are now in week 45, I think, and going strong.
This may be a small group, but it can have a far-reaching impact. Brad Tyson and the “Sunrise Prayer” group are definitely part of “Everything Good about Canton.” So, Cantonians and Stark County residents, know that you are not alone. Someone is praying for you!
Thank you, Brad!
The sun is rising over Canton.
Everything Good About Canton 