Our nation currently finds itself in a state of unrest. Chaos and rage fill our streets. In all likelihood, many of you are probably struggling with many emotions. Our hearts are heavy as we wrestle to articulate our complicated feelings. It’s still struggle to collect our thoughts after watching a nine-minute video of George Floyd, a black man, gasping for air as an officer knelt on his neck. How can this officer, along with three others, mercilessly ignore his cry for help?
These times are not unprecedented. Since the fall of humanity, there have always been violent acts, disasters, and pandemics. But to get specific, for many people of color, the racism and oppression expressed today is nothing new. It’s been their reality for far too long.
The civil unrest our nation is currently enduring has led to the destruction of businesses, private property, assaults against citizens and law enforcement officers, and more tragic deaths. We are heartbroken as we grieve and lament over this as well.
This post won’t offer a quick fix or cure. But as pastors, we invite you to slow down, reflect, and consider how the gospel would have us respond to this cultural moment. May Christ lead us to an earnest posture of prayer and a resolute hope that is expressed through our words and actions. So, take a moment to breathe in the life-giving Gospel air of Christ, and exhale the unchanging and unmatched truth of his grace.
As we consider and view these events through the lens of the Gospel, may we remember that…
The Gospel calls us to lament together as the people of God.
To lament is to express deep sorrow. It is God's invitation for his children to weep before Him as they cry out for his intervention. Lamenting is Biblical, spiritual, and should be our response for these times. Let’s quit arguing on social media and get on our knees as we weep before God, crying loudly for his mercy.
Lament is also communal. We are directed to weep with those who weep. In these desperate times, consider those who are weeping. Even if you feel differently, this is an invitation to draw close to others in their suffering. Before we publish another post, let's make sure we've spent ample time lamenting. Doing so will better ensure that our words reflect the heart of God rather than the headline of a news story.
"Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call" (Psalm 102:1-2 ESV)!
The Gospel breaks down the wall of hostility between different people groups.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells us that the agent of reconciliation between people groups is none of other than Jesus Christ himself. He writes that Jesus "is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility" (Eph. 2:14 NIV).
The good ‘ole days never existed. Only two people in all of history have ever experienced life without hostility. Then came the original sin, the fall of man which gave birth to all sorts of evils including racism and hostility. The answer to our sin-problem is Jesus. You might be thinking––"I know that, but..."–– that response will lead us to apathy, thinking that nothing will ever change…or worse, maybe we simply don’t care about the issues of racism and injustice because we think they don’t directly affect us. Sit with that for a minute.
The Gospel breaks down the wall of hostility. It not only reconciles man back to God but it draws us towards one another! So that we actually learn to care about what affects the whole body of Christ, not merely our individual lives. We must never lose sight of that powerful truth. We must live as those who have been given the ministry and message of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19).
The Gospel demands that the Church speak against injustices in all forms.
The Church cannot afford to "sit this one out," so to speak. The pulpit isn’t a place to promote politics, worldly ideologies, or candidates. But too many of us are in danger of viewing the ongoing injustices as 'political' taboos that we shouldn’t address in church. As Christ-followers and Christ-imitators, that is not the reality. God's Word is clear: "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Malachi 6:8 ESV). This isn’t a license to yell our opinions at our culture. This is a command to be lovingly present in the midst of it. It's a call to move toward those who are hurting and marginalized with greater gospel-intentionality. God has ordained his people to be a conduit of His grace and love. Christ in our hands and feet, Christ in our minds and on our lips.
We must decry the abuse of authority that continues to result in the unfair treatment and killings of black people in America. We must decry the violence against citizens and law enforcement officers and the willful destruction of cities, businesses, and lives. The gospel demands that we do both. We must be fully present, gentle and humble, yet confident as we raise our voices toward injustice and take proper action.
The Gospel fills us with hope for the future day of Christ.
The promise of the gospel is a day when true justice will be fully realized. The yearning of our hearts for God will be experienced without hindrance or delay. That day in all its glory will surpass our current reality of pain and suffering. That day will bring full understanding to all of the Father's providential and sovereign workings in human history.
In closing, let the picture of that day found in Scripture encourage you and fan your passion to represent the Gospel to EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD...
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 9:9-12).
Our hope is in Christ who reigns victoriously, now and forever. Let's fix our eyes on Him, dying to ourselves and living for Christ. Let's seek to live as peacemakers in a world desperate for justice and equity. Let's continue to proclaim the good news of the kingdom and represent the Gospel to a watching world.
- Orlando Cabrera, Michael Girado, Joe O’Neal