Many of us will have had very different reactions to the events surrounding the past week of unrest in the United States of America. Many of us will feel sadness, grief, anger, frustration, sympathy, confusion, or a mixture of these. As Christians, we start with honesty, where we are and where our world is. We ask Jesus to come and stand with us, to feel what we feel. We pray together for a better future.
The sad truth is that racism and injustice are not problems that only exist far away. Similar injustices exist across the world, and in our own society too. Racism is real. It is still a reality for the whole world, including the United Kingdom, and it is an experience for many in our church family and in our society.
What is our response?
Although we are individual people with different experiences, we are connected, for better or worse, one with God, and with each other. There are some times when, as a body, a church family, we celebrate, we express our joy together before the Lord. But there are also times when, as a body, we must stand with, kneel with, cry with, hurt with, and mostly pray with, those in our body who are mourning. Those in our body who are experiencing injustice, unrest, violence, and struggle. It is our Christian calling to mourn with those who mourn, laugh with those who laugh, weep with those who weep. We act as Christ when we comfort each other and walk with each other. It is to be in Christ to learn about one another’s experiences, and grow in patience, endurance and love as we do so.
God’s heart breaks when He sees injustice. We’re invited into a relationship with God, where He transforms our hearts so that our hearts begin to break when His does. So whether we can empathise with a particular situation, we can still all take one more step towards unity and deeper connection with each other. We can hear each other's stories, stand alongside each other in our struggles, and work hard to deepen our connections and our love for each other. As we do, we will see and understand more of God’s heart, we draw closer to Jesus, who has walked through it all Himself in His life, and now walks through it again, alongside us.
Whether we have experienced racism or not, whether our skin is one colour or another, whatever our political leaning, upbringing and background, we are called to live in unity. Throughout the Bible, we’re reminded of the unity that is inherent in our family, the body of Christ. It’s in our DNA and it’s through unity that we display God’s love for the world (John 17:23, Galatians 3:26-28, Ephesians 4:2-6, Romans 10:12).
So as we look on across the world, as we see demonstrations far away, and are reminded of similar situations and circumstances close to home, we are stirred to pray. Pray for institutional and cultural change. Pray for understanding. Pray for the marginalised, the hurting, and the overlooked. Pray for justice, pray for reconciliation, and above all, to pray for God’s peace.
Sometimes we find it difficult to pray what’s in our hearts in our own words, to summarise the cry of our hearts with syllables and letters. And so, to close, we’d like to use God’s Word: the living Word that always remains in every season. These words from Paul in Romans 12, starting in verse 9, may help you to pray along with God and the worldwide church.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
-Romans 12: 9-21
