INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) – The winter solstice represents the longest night of the year – and also its darkest day. At The Gathering Baptist Church in Independence, a special service was held to remember the lives lost to a homicide on the Missouri side of the metro this year.
168 crosses were planted in the ground outside the church. Each one bears the name of a person killed in Kansas City, Independence, Raytown, Grandview, and Lee’s Summit. Each person killed had a life, a family, and a story.
“Those are names on the crosses, right? But those are more than just names,” said Wes Wakefield, a pastor at the church. “Those are people’s lives. These families are hurting; they are grieving, especially during the holiday season.”…