We need to address the events of our day as people of faith in Jesus Christ.
Just when we thought heaven might come down, Hell broke loose. It is the strategy of the prince of this world and enemy of our souls. Hoping and praying the pandemic would spark revival, instead the killing of George Floyd has sparked riots. As the sinfulness of man is on display in all these things, our overarching emotion should be grief, and our consistent action must be prayer to God for mercy, and guidance out of this mess.
We stand firmly on the things we believe, truth revealed by God in his Word. In our statement of faith we make clear our understanding that all people are created in the image of God. The lives of all people are sacred for this reason, whether they wear black skin or a blue uniform or are as yet growing in the mother’s womb. Being made in God’s image gives all human life unique value. This biblically rooted belief forms the foundation for our thinking, and so should determine our actions.
This is why we must stand against every violation of human life’s sacred nature.
· We must stand against abortion.
· We must stand against racial discrimination.
· We must stand against violent demonstrations.
· We must stand against child abuse, or elder abuse, or human trafficking…against every diminishing of human value, and we could not list them all.
The elders, in consultation with some of our members, have sought to address how we should respond to the present crisis from the standpoint of Biblical counsel.
In a statement (now available here: https://5il.co/hcp3), we encourage:
1) We must call sin what it is.
2) We must seek to listen before we speak.
3) We must seek to understand before we rebuke or affirm.
4) We must be wise with our words.
5) We must keep the Gospel at the forefront.
6) We must speak, but must speak the truth in love.
7) We must be fervent in prayer.
It is difficult to speak clearly in the face of injustice, with emotions fueled by frustration over more evidence that racism continues to hurt people God loves, and the response to that evidence also hurts people God loves. There is a palpable tension. In that tension there is often a lack of understanding and an unwillingness to just listen.
So we enter the conversation asking that if you too choose to join it, as followers of Jesus you commit to listen, and only speak the truth in love. Whenever that balance is lost, we will surely fall into the sin of dissension.
As followers of Jesus we have yet another high and difficult challenge. Some weeks ago we studied in depth Jesus’ model prayer in which are found these words:
…and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
When we are offended or even wronged, our calling in Jesus is to be like Jesus in forgiving as we are forgiven.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Psalm 143:1-- Hear my prayer, O LORD: give ear to my pleas for mercy!
- The DCC Elder Council