The Pulse – 8/18/2017

Date
August 18, 2017
Author
Jason Bird
Category
The Pulse

The Pulse – Connect with the heartbeat of Effort.

I originally intended to write about an upcoming food ministry event, but my mind keeps wandering back to the events of last weekend. Much has been written and, like many of you, I’m still processing these events. I saw the faces of many seminary classmates marching and the daughter of another classmate was among those wounded in the cowardly car attack on the mall. I have a few developing thoughts.

First, I am deeply troubled that white supremacists, neo-nazis, the KKK are feeling increasingly emboldened to emerge from the shadows. As the identities have been revealed, I’ve looked at their Facebook pages and websites and am sickened by the level of hatred found within. These vile ideologies are a perversion of both biblical and American ideals. I believe that standing for God means standing opposed to this kind of hate.

Second, one cannot oppose hate with hate. There were so many beautiful moments last weekend; a racially and theologically diverse community of clergy marching arm-in-arm, the courage of our police and first responders, prayer meetings, and the many small and beautiful acts of kindness. These moments flourished last weekend. Unfortunately, this kind of beauty is so delicate and so easily overshadowed by images of people screaming profanities across a picket line.

Let’s be blunt, it’s easy to hate those who perpetuate an ideology of division, exclusion and white supremacy. But when we give in to that darkness, then they win. A friend reminded me that one of the most poignant lessons of the civil rights movement is that only against the backdrop of peaceful protest do the actions of evil men come into the kind of crystal clarity that changes culture. I am incredibly grateful for the peacemakers and ask that God nurtures that peacemaking spirit within us.

Finally, I’m pretty pragmatic. The outrage will fade over the coming weeks and we will be tempted to put this behind us. It will be easy to retreat into the refuge that says all is well. But all is not well. There continues to exist deep rifts between us, particularly along the racial divide. I do not know all the answers but I do know where we can begin. Below you’ll find a link to a prayer guide that Susan Hineman discovered. I challenge you to take 10 minutes out of the next 7 days and follow this guide for prayer. May God open our eyes to the reality of division and guide our lives towards peace and reconciliation.

Prayer Guide for Racial Reconciliation

Grace & Peace,

Ben