Armed with faith: meet the God Squad working to end gun violence in Brooklyn
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/09/brooklyn-meet-god-squad-working-end-gun-violenceSince 2010, the ‘clergy response team’ has been walking the streets to deliver healing and bridge the gap between the community and police
The God Squad in action. Photograph: Philip Montgomery
Sadhbh Walshe
Monday 9 February 2015 14.45 GMT
It’s a bitter cold morning in late January and pastor Gilford Monrose has forgotten his hat. Monrose is the president of the 67th Precinct Clergy Council, and he’s preparing to lead a crew of men and women of the cloth on an outreach mission to talk to East Flatbush residents about the central problem that plagues their hood: its epidemic levels of gun violence.
The brightly colored “clergy response team” jackets issued by the city to the “God Squad”, as they are mostly known, were not designed for New York’s winter, but the team, which is made up of baptist ministers, episcopalian ministers, seventh day adventists and at least one rabbi, brave the cold regardless.
“There are too many young black men dying out here,” Monrose says in his rich Caribbean lilt, “and our work can’t stop because of the weather.”
Monrose co-founded the God Squad in 2010, after growing weary of encountering grieving parishioners who had lost a son or daughter to gun violence. Now a 60-member strong organization, it’s the largest and most active of six similar clergy councils that have sprung up around New York city, mostly in African American and Caribbean neighborhoods where tensions between the community and the police run high.
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Where are you? How are you? 
We are in a remote cove on the Mexican Pacific Coast. It is unspeakably calm, isolated and beautiful. And it has a random cell tower up on a hill, lol!
Where are you? Hope you are staying warm, my friend.
I'm at the cottage, southern MD, where the high yesterday was 55 or so. Caught this for you at the time: 
THIS is TODAY, where it's 36, with rain expected.
I love pictures of winter, but have no desire to go there. It looks like you are in a wonderful location, though.
Enjoy!
I have no problems with what people believe. As a life-long atheist, I don't think that is part of the deal. I reserve judgement for how people put their beliefs, or lack thereof, into action. There I have pretty strong opinions which I am not afraid to express.
That is why I support all these ecumenical outreach programs.
The extent to which they do good is the extent that they ARE good. No matter their beliefs. This support is provisional on their other actions. For instance, the extent to which they use these programs for proselytization, is the extent to which I will condemn them. However, when Baptists, Episcopals, and Jews are collaborating, that ain't gonna happen. That is why I would gladly stand beside them.
Hope you are well, good friend.
Oh! Almost forgot. R&K
This really reminds me of when my family was in chicago. My father was actively working with the two major gangs, who were rapidly killing each other off.
The extent to which they do good is the extent to which they are good - absolutely correct. The efforts in chicago did not involve proselytizing and involved multiple faith groups.
Doing well here. Hope you are staying warm and well fed.