By now, most of you have heard about the Ferguson, Missouri, riots, where a young unarmed male was shot by a police officer and died on the spot.
The sadness of that youth’s parents over losing their child and the concern of the police officer’s family for his future both are concerns that must be real to them, having emotional ties that are distinct to being human.   
We hear some people say, “Do not get emotional over these types of things,” even if they may be deemed most tragic.
Yet, if it is personal to you — like your child’s life being taken or your husband’s career and reputation on the line — it will be emotional to you and yours. And for most people who use that statement, we understand that it is easy to make decisions based on what we want, think and feel - or what our emotions tell us is the right thing, right now.
But we have to be careful not to be led by emotions. We need to follow something much wiser and much more dependable - God. When we feel strongly about something, hate and confusion easily can deceive us into thinking it is God’s will.
During challenging times like these, to discern if what we want is in line with what God wants for us or our community, we must turn to God.
We all have been confused about some of the things God has allowed to happen in our lives and that of others. But when we look back at them today, we can say, “Now I know why that had to happen. Now I know why that took place.” 
God knows more than we know. His ways are above our ways, and he has a better plan for our lives than we do. Instead of being led by our feelings, we need to be led by God, even when we don’t understand.
If we want to improve in this area, we have to let God show us some truth about ourselves. We need him to reveal the root of our problem because if we see it, we can deal with it, and then we can avoid the feelings that come from it. So we can pray for God to reveal those things to us.
But since feelings are unpredictable by nature, we also need to learn how to manage them when they change unexpectedly.
It’s amazing how you can straighten up your attitude just by having a little chat with yourself or a talk with God.
Your family may not be everything you’d like them to be, but you have a family. Your house might not be everything you’d like it to be, but you’re not on the street. You may not like your job, but at least you have one. Your neighborhood may not be the best or as you dreamed it, but it could be worse.
To be able to find wise, unified ways to bring people together to solve hard problems is pretty much impossible until we learn how to live beyond our feelings. Feelings make us cry one hour and laugh the next. They behave better when circumstances are good and act up during periods of waiting and change. We all need to own our emotions and not letting them own us. 
With that in mind, considering the incidents that have and are happening in Ferguson, Unity in the Community prays that law-enforcement officials and the community they serve work together openly to determine God’s will in the matter.
Remember: “The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. It is one of the great virtues to which we all should aspire. Imagine a world filled with individuals willing both to apologize and to accept an apology. Is there any problem that could not be solved among people who possessed the humility and largeness of spirit and soul to do either — or both — when needed?”
— Gordon B. Hinckley

If you would like to get together for affordable activities in our neighborhoods that promote neighborhood unity, cultural diversity, inclusive and diverse fun activities, please contact us at unitynthecommunity@unitynthecommunity.org.