It has been a difficult week in the life of our nation. Peaceful protests are an integral part of what brings change in a democracy and we have seen them work many times in our history. Rioting, looting, and violence are not the way to bring change and are not to be condoned. As Christians we are called to see people the way God in Christ sees them, as children of God who are so beloved that Christ gave his life for them. Genesis 1:27 states: “God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female.” (The Message) It does not say that God created some people better than others by virtue of the color of their skin or the job they do. Deciding that some people are better than others, by any metric, is a product of the fall of humanity, not of creation. The church is the place where education and practice of treating one another as children of God needs to happen. The parable of the separation of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, states that what we do to or for any child of God, we have done to or for Christ himself. That is what it means to be the church.
My oldest daughter has a very close friend who is a twenty-something African American male who grew up in poverty. They had a difficult conversation over last weekend as her eyes were opened to just how differently they view the world. She has never seen an authority figure as a threat to her safety, in fact quite the opposite. She was overwhelmed by the way her friend is always on guard around authority because of his race and gender. The church is a place for education and change, for conversation and growth. I shared this link with her as a way for her to continue to learn a different view of the world so that someday we might not have that disparity. I invite you to consider reading or watching some of the resources that Myers Park Church, Charlotte, NC, has provided here. I invite you to share with me what your church, or you personally, are dealing with or trying to do in these times. I invite you to pray for our nation, for our leadership, for those affected by the rioting, looting, and violence, and for those who daily face challenges simply because of the color of their skin. Praying for peace, Melana
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As we move forward in this strange time, I will share various emails, articles, podcast suggestions that seem like they might be helpful to you as you serve your churches. Please know that I am not making any recommendations, just sharing information. You can decide if you want to explore any of the suggestions. I am happy to hear from you about how the presbytery or I can be of support during these days. Leave a comment or email me at [email protected].
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