A Community Prayer Vigil for Peace and Unity was held Tuesday night in Lakeland.
People gathered at the First United Methodist Church to pray for the victims of the shootings at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.
"The evil of the murders in Charleston last Thursday is beyond words," said Rev. Carol Solovotz of Grace Lutheran Church.
The music and prayers were as strong as any Sunday service, even on a Tuesday night.
Faith and fellowship filled the sanctuary but it also came with the struggle to understand a tragedy that took place many miles away.
"It is heavy upon our hearts," said Rev. Eddie Lakes of New Bethel AME Church. "We are sad and as I said to my congregation on Sunday, that could have easily been me and eight of our other members."
Some pastors talked about intolerance and racism.
"The big debate is, should we remove all the confederate flags across our nation," said Rev. E.T. Pickett, III of Word Alive Ministries. "Well, if we do that will it change a heart? Because it's a heart that has to be changed and unless the heart changes, it doesn't matter if a flag is removed, it doesn't matter if the "N" word is never used, it's the heart of men that has to be changed."
Pastors hope something good can come out of something terrible.
"We don't know why it happened but what we do know is God is turning this things around. That although it was meant for evil, some good is going to come out of it," said Joe Halman of Greater Works Ministry.
They said they want to see faith and forgiveness in action beyond the church walls.