NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans church’s sign urging people to get vaccinated was vandalized overnight.
Someone spray painted over the sign in front of First Grace United Methodist Church in Mid-City, crossing out the message to “Love thy neighbor, get vaccinated.”
Pastor Shawn Moses Anglim said that a bible verse and the message “faith over fear” were also spray-painted at the scene, leading him to believe whoever did it is a fellow Christian.
“Someone felt a finger was pointed at them and I want to say I appreciate that and I apologize. It was meant as encouragement, but there was a kinder way to say it,” Anglim said. “I’d love the opportunity to meet them, to sit down and see where they’re coming from.”
Several volunteers came out to clean up the graffiti, removing the spray paint and refreshing the sign and sidewalk in front of the church.
“We can love you, but we can also repair and still send our message,” one volunteer said as she scrubbed paint from the sign.
Anglim said that this can be an opportunity to bring people together, rather than push them apart.
“Louisiana in particular really needs to try and begin by praying for those who don’t agree with you and trust that that’s going to be the first step,” he said.
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