Listen. Love. Learn.

Our hearts break at the pain being felt by the Black community in our country. While we may not understand the depths of their hurt, we know that each one of them is created in God’s image. God has a purpose and plan for each of their lives. They are precious in His eyes, and they are our brothers and sisters. They are our neighbors, the same ones we are called by God to love. Every one of us has the responsibility, as a follower of Jesus, to care for the oppressed. The people crying out in pain and confusion in the streets are oppressed and have been for a long time.

We know that God is in the business of changing hearts and lives. We believe that the Church will be the instrument God will use to create the change that needs to happen in our country. This begins with each of us who call ourselves Christian, learning to listen in love to those hurting around us.

It feels like this is a time that we should follow what God tells us in James 1:19: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. By listening to our neighbors, we learn more about what is needed and what we can do about it.

To be clear, we are supporting the people who are peacefully protesting across the country, trying to raise their voices and get the message out. The people who are rioting or looting communities are not furthering the cause, and in most situations, they are not the same people who are peacefully protesting. We don’t support the illegal actions of those individuals. But we fully support the men, women, and children around the country who are gathering to speak out against racism and racial injustice.

It is our prayer that each of us would be quick to listen and slow to speak, that we would love all people, and that we would learn what racial injustice means and how we can be a part of ending it and the oppression it causes minorities in our country.