Pastor Mark Hughes – June 8, 2020
First of all, let me be clear that Church of the Rock condemns racism of any kind and unequivocally states that black lives do matter. No person should ever be discriminated against based on the colour of their skin. The systemic racism that still exists in North American culture today should be a thing of the past, but unfortunately, we still live in a profoundly sinful world.
The senseless death of George Floyd (and many other similar incidences that are just as vicious) should stir a deep sense of sorrow in all of us. The peaceful protests in cities all over North America point to a society that will no longer stand by apathetically as visible minorities continue to be targets of police brutality. The situation is compounded in that we are already living in one of the most politically divided times of recent memory, and we are still in the midst of a global health pandemic that is far from over. Now that the streets are also filled with outraged masked protesters and riot police, it is unclear if we are headed for a kinder gentler culture or something quite the opposite. The initial cry for justice for George Floyd (which is almost certainly going to be different than the not-guilty verdict in the Rodney King case 29 years ago) has been replaced with a call to defund and disband the police. I can’t think of a worse recipe for anarchy. They have been given a next to impossible task to maintain the peace in such a broken world.
The bigger question for the church is how should the Christian respond? There are no instant answers, but what is clear is that we should be part of the solution and never part of the problem. And to just shrug one’s shoulders and claim that it is not our battle, is to become part of the problem. Indifference to the plight of another is never the right response.
Jesus lived in a time of horrific abuse of power and racial violence. Interestingly, He rarely spoke out against it, but rather lived to be the answer. He was famous for crossing the racial, religious, and gender dividing lines that ran deep in His day. He showed mercy to the Syrophoenician woman, brought deliverance to the madman of Gadara and traveled through Samaria bringing hope. Micah 6:8 states “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” The Scripture is pretty clear about the importance of justice. However, we must go beyond just demanding it, and start living it out individually. When we encounter injustice, our responsibility is to try to right the wrong or to bring justice where we can. Isaiah 1:17 says “Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.”
Firstly, it is not enough for any of us to stand on the street corner and demand justice, it is our job to correct injustice wherever it is within our power to bring change. If, for example, our own city’s police services has a long record of corruption or racial discrimination, we must use our political and democratic influence to bring reform for the better. If we are called to love our neighbour, which we are, and it is clear that they are victims of abuse, then we need to do what we can to correct the situation.
Secondly, we can model unity and diversity. I am grateful to be part of a racially diverse church. We have people in our congregation from almost every region of the planet. The Book of Revelation paints a picture where we will be gathered in heaven to worship Jesus together “Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Rev 5:9) Shouldn’t our churches on earth resemble a dress rehearsal for heaven?
It feels like we are standing at a crossroads. I pray that our culture chooses the right path, one that will bring mercy and justice. I pray for the vast majority of police officers that are decent and honest people that have chosen a profession where they step into harm’s way every single day to protect their fellow citizen from the evil that lurks within the heart of sinful men. I pray that people will begin to see that we have all been created equally in the image of God and that ultimately our only true hope is in the gospel which has the power to unite us, not only with our God, but with our fellow human being. May Godspeed.
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