Dear Unsettled Friends ~
Recent weeks have produced a second pandemic of sorts. We are in the midst of the most troubling observations, our horrified hearts ache with deep concern and grief at the ongoing suffering of our black brothers and sisters.
I've pretty much lived in a 'white bread world' so I am rather still and quiet as I sit with what I'm re-learning about the vastness of racial injustice from the words and images of activists and writers, pastors and therapists, leaders of the movement and Christian educators.
And especially those so raw and wounded, deeply traumatized, emotionally and spiritually exhausted by the stark reality of the abuse and tragedy they've endured.
Along the way, I've gotten a taste of that raw reality from the experiences of black women I did life with as sister classmates in college and graduate school. My eye-opening learning process continued with many hours of connecting with courageous women of color in the counseling office as they shared their stories and diligently worked toward healing.
I am a long ways away on having any kind of substantial answers to the tragedy that is unfolding before our very eyes. This is a season of grief embraced, of lament over injustice and suffering of generations of brothers and sisters created in the image of our beautiful God.
I am shaken but not silent.
We know and serve the One who modeled love. Compassion. Righteous anger. Justice. Peace. Hope. I'm leaning into His Spirit these days for the ability to listen deeply, to cultivate a heart that discerns truth, to respond in ways that honor Christ.
I'm thinking that if you're here, you are, too.
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Come join me online this Tuesday evening,
June 9th, at 6 pm {eastern} for
'A response to cries in the streets and the cries of our hearts will be heard from leaders of Alliance Theological Seminary (ATS), Tuesday, June 9 at 6:00 PM. This virtual panel discussion, “I Can’t Breathe: A Christian Response to Racial Injustice,” is the first in a series of upcoming discussions on faith, family and race.
Panelists include Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) Metro District Superintendent and Corporate Vice President of the C&MA, Kelvin Walker; Vice President and Dean of ATS, Ronald Walborn; Associate Professor of Church History, Louis DeCaro; Assistant Professor of Old Testament, Cleotha Robertson; Director of Intercultural Studies, Stanley John; Director of Field Education, Charles Galbreath; Director of Academic Affairs, Constance Diggs; and Chair of Developmental Education, Nathaniel Perez.
In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Tune in to hear these campus leaders speak truth to the power of justice.'
Click here and scroll down for access to the Zoom event.
And feel free to come on back here to the blog to dialogue. As a Nyack College graduate and third generation member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, I am eager to tune in to this virtual panel discussion. I'd love for you to join me.
Let's listen well together.
Prayerfully,
Linda
Let's listen well together.
Prayerfully,
Linda
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visiting with
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Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
I didn't know you were a Nyack girl. I went to Toccoa Falls, also a CMA school. It seems so long ago, because the denomination is barely represented here in Maine. Thank you for your voice here. I wish I could make time to join the discussion tomorrow. (Busy week with graduation stuff, etc.)
ReplyDeleteYep, and I think maybe we have an E-Free connection, too, Michele.
DeleteGraduation must be more significant than ever for you this year. Changes are bound to come as you transition to a new focus. I'm excited to follow along and cheer from the sidelines.
Congratulations to your son ... and congrats to you, too, friend!
Here's the link to the event, Michelle ... I know you will appreciate this discussion!
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/128169023868905/posts/3327156350636807
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Linda. I was just thinking about how injustice shakes me to the core of my being. My heart has been crying out to God. Then I opened my email and read your post. And I felt so understood and encouraged to keep resting in Jesus who understands our deepest cries and longings and knows the truth of our stories, no matter what race or background we come from! And AMEN! to this - "We know and serve the One who modeled love. Compassion. Righteous anger. Justice. Peace. Hope. I'm leaning into His Spirit these days for the ability to listen deeply, to cultivate a heart that discerns truth, to respond in ways that honor Christ." Love and blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteTrudy, I'm grateful that something in these words met you during your time of crying out to God.
DeleteAnd thank you for this beautiful focus --> 'keep resting in Jesus who understands our deepest cries and longings and knows the truth of our stories, no matter what race or background we come from.'
He knows. He redeems. He comforts. He leads us forward.
Leaning into God with all my heart in these times, Linda. Praying for justice, healing and peace in this nation. May the Lord hear the prayers of all of us.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Lord, have mercy.
DeleteMay You bless us with peace and a rebuilding of trust in our hearts and our communities.
I love your heart to "re-learn", Linda. It's something we all need to do. There's so much listening we also need to do. Our church had a great session last night with our white pastor and three black pastors on our board. I'm taking it all in as best I can.
ReplyDeleteOne grace that's coming from this hard time is to see the way churches are connecting with each other, connecting with their people, reaching out to their communities.
DeleteI love that your church had a powerful session that's left its people with food for thought.
Christ-centered conversations can go a long way toward cultivating forgiveness and rebuilding trust. Let's see what God does as we move ahead.
Bless you as you're part of the discussion, friend. You bring so much gentle grace, life experience, and wisdom to the table.
Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office. Killed in the line of duty.
ReplyDeleteIs it OK because he was a cop? Where are the marchers for justice now?
He was ambushed yesterday,
just one dead cop more,
dying for the crappy pay
and the badge he wore.
He chose to serve you in this life,
to face the things he did;
did you know he had a wife,
and that he had a kid?
Do you have room in your heart
to shake your fist in rage
for a fam'ly torn apart,
forever on this page,
or will you not deign to pause
for this is not your chosen cause?
God weeps. His people weep.
DeleteViolence is never the answer.
We all bleed red, we all have people who love us. No matter the color of our skin, no matter what occupation we hold.
God have mercy, God show us the way forward. Only He can do this.
SO much sorrow and heartache in this world... and truiy Jesus is the only lasting source of peace that will transform this world to bring the peace it needs. Prayers that in the midst of it all, that the light of Jesus will be magnified. Much love to you dear friend!
ReplyDeleteYes, Marilyn, your reminder that we need to be on our knees is much-needed.
DeleteOur voices and actions will most likely be ineffective without springing from our strong relationship with Christ. Yes, He is the light, He is the way.
Yes injustice is a pathetic, cruel motive of the human heart. There are millions of injustices everyday, everywhere. The man that killed Floyd was truly a trouble maker according to a tract record of offenses. But I do hope the uproar and the sensationalizing of certain injustices doesn’t silence other cries for help and rescue.
ReplyDeleteMy other hope and prayer is that police officers are not all undermined and unable to do their jobs to enforce law and order. We think rioting is bad now. Without police protection, we have no way to enforce the law or anyone to go to for protection. That is a scary thought to me. This is a complex problem.
Absolutely yes, to this, Carol --> 'My other hope and prayer is that police officers are not all undermined and unable to do their jobs to enforce law and order.'
DeleteWe must not paint law enforcement with a broad brush. Those who serve and protect us must be supported and encouraged to respond professionally and respectfully ... and that respect for law and order needs to run both ways.
Sadly, trust is so hard to rebuild. Especially when it's been repeatedly broken, no matter what arena we're talking about ... home, church, community.
Only God.
Sadly I agree that trust is hard to rebuild and especially when mistrust sells newspapers. “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”
DeleteRomans 7:24 NIV. I pray that those of us resting in Jesus can make a difference.
So much of what we face are issues of the heart ...
DeleteOnly Jesus.
Linda, your words spoke straight to my heart. I've spent time praying for those who have been so greatly impacted by racism. I'm listening. Praying. Trying to learn.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that people are gathering to share via Zoom. Hubs and I attended a C&MA church when we lived in Alabama. It was a beautiful place to begin worshiping together as a couple, as it was the first place we lived after getting married.
Thanks for sharing your C&MA roots with me, Jeanne. This denomination has a long multicultural history and ministry which I find encouraging and fascinating. I'm looking forward to their continued active response to what's happening.
DeleteOther denominations are lighting the way, as well. May the tragedies that are in the forefront right now lead the way toward more respect, more unity, more conversations.
More of Jesus' love.
I applied and got accepted into NYACK's grad school program to study Marriage & Family Therapy. Life took a different turn so I didn't attend.
ReplyDeleteThanks for mentioning righteous anger. It's a thing that the church seems to overlook or not discuss yet it's what many of us are feeling during this time.
Oh they have a terrific counseling program. They were kicking it off when I went back for my graduate degree, but I ended up going elsewhere where I could work in a more concentrated time frame.
DeleteI feel a kinship with you. No wonder I appreciate your posts so much, Yvonne.
May we all be wise enough to know what righteous anger looks like and how to invite it to propel us forward to substantial, respectful conversations. The key is 'righteous' ... sacred, holy, Christ-honoring.
Not self-absorbed with an ax to grind. And that can be hard.
Love those words...shaken but not silent.
ReplyDeleteAnd sometimes there are no words to express what's deepest inside.
DeleteGod knows ...
Where are all the prayers when they are so needed?
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I have to believe that God is at work ... and maybe, just maybe, more people are praying than ever.
DeleteWhat encouraged me was a prayer time our church had for 1 hr 1/2 while protesters walked over our Mid Hudson Bridge. So you are right, Linda. There was 9 woman—- the most I ever saw at prayer meeting. Sadly, no men.
DeletePrayerful protests can be a powerful tool for change.
DeletePrayer is always a powerful link to the only One who can change the heart.
And yes ... where are the men? Women are often leading the way, aren't we.
I think we all need to relearn how to think and act. Ultimately, it will be a good thing but right now we are going through growing pains. I too am shaken but not silent. We need to model justice, peace, reconciliation and love. Luckily we have had the perfect teacher in Christ.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Laurie. Talk is cheap. We are now being challenged to live out what we say we believe.
DeleteLet's follow our Teacher's example ... He showed us how to do this well.
If this world would just realize how much we need God! He alone can give the help and healing that's needed at this time. Thanks for sharing. Many blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThis is a time not only for deep listening and speaking out, but devotion to prayer. Only God can touch our hearts and change them ...
DeleteAnything of value always starts from the inside out.
Thanks for being here, Boma ...
Thank you for your words and the call to fight injustice. My heart aches for the suffering of so many people. The kind of suffering that seems to be on repeat because many of us are afraid to give up the narratives we have always believed. I wish I had stopped by here sooner. I missed the discussion. I hope it was good.
ReplyDeleteNope, you haven't missed the discussion, you're right in the middle of it. I'm appreciating your point about the narratives we've always believed and the need to give up our fear and re-tell our storylines.
DeleteToo many of those narratives are old, tiring, just plain wrong.
The enemy wants to keep us stuck there. I rebuke his efforts this morning.
Question: “to give up the narratives we have always believed”. What narratives? This is a great discussion and I wish it would continue. I wish many would answer this question for me to understand.
DeleteNarratives in this context means the stories we've been told, the stories we tell ourselves, our core beliefs or values we've embraced along the way that prove to be invalid or sinful or way off base.
DeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteListen closely...that's what I'm attempting to do. I'm trying to sort through all the theatrics to hear what is truly being said. I do trust that God can bring a much needed revival in our land. Leaning into HIS lead through all of this...
Blessings,
Bev xx
Yes, Bev, yes.
DeleteMy listening and musing, watching and writing are leading me to the need for prayer. Steady, ongoing.
Only God can make a way forward. Only Him.
well said. I have committed myself to listen and reflect.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes.
DeleteThere is much to consider, to pray over, to take action on ...
Linda, I’m thankful you wrote about this ... there are so many voices saying so many things, but what breaks through the din for me are actual conversations between people who are genuinely interested in learning from and understanding each other. Hugs, friend.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting point, Lois, with so many voices saying so many things it would be easy to tune out and move on.
DeleteI'm with you on actual conversations where people are genuine, respectfully open, and ready to fully engage.
We move forward together ...