On Earth as it is in Heaven
Originally Written: June 18, 2020
On August 12, 2017 a Neo-Nazi drove his car into a crowd of protesters. He killed one woman and injured several more. I opened my social media post that day by saying, “I would rather be redundant than silent.”
I have had a lot of people ask my opinion, even more have been asking about my experiences in downtown Nashville since the protests started. I have been hesitant to share, mostly because my experiences are incredibly personal, and in some ways, they feel redundant to what is already being shared. I am convicted by my own words, “I would rather be redundant than silent.”
There are many opinions out there, and the truth is not found at either end of the spectrum. The truth is messy and complicated. These discussions are hard and if we try to simplify them, we will rob ourselves of validity. I wish we could fast forward the process and land in change. However, the transformation happens in the process. If we take away the process, we take away the change.
August 12, 2017 changed my life. I started the journey of conversation and learning. I allowed my heart to break and feel. I dedicated time and resources to educating myself on African American history within the United States. Only in the last couple of weeks, have I realized I had not even scratched the surface. I can’t imagine the tidal waves of emotions that I would be feeling now if I had not had the last three years of education and conversations. For those of us who did not know what we did not know…this is hard. Don’t stop pressing in. Don’t stop learning and repenting.
I don’t write this as an expert on the racial injustice in America. In fact, I often feel unsure in my thoughts and clunky in my words. I catch myself using microaggression or us/them language. I write this as someone who has been on a journey and someone who desperately wants the Church to rise up and find her voice on this matter.
I have dedicated my life to growing and serving the local and global Church. I love her. I believe in the Church. I believe the best days are yet ahead. I know the Church is part of my corner of the world to minister to. That is why with all the love and fierceness I have in my heart; I am saying, “Church it is time to speak up.”
One of my friends pointed out this week that the areas in which the church has not risen up, pride movements have. The church has (at large) ignored topics like homosexuality, politics and race. Instead of people being met with Kingdom truth, these groups have had to turn to each other to find love. Millions of non-Christians, especially young adults are hungry for The Kingdom of Heaven. We see it in their fascination with the supernatural, we see it in their quests for social justice. There have been many times where I gave in to fear of rejection or fear of man instead of speaking Kingdom truth, but if the last weeks have shown me anything, I am done with that.
A peaceful protest was held on May 30, after that, a riot broke out in downtown Nashville. Similar stories flooded our newsfeed and many of us were left confused. I did not attend the protest in downtown Nashville. However, the next day I woke up with an invitation from a friend to help with cleanup. We decided to meet on the legislative plaza and start with worship. Walking up the stairs I could feel the tension. More than tension, it felt like violation. Immediately we started praying, our prayers breaking into praise. We sang and even danced as we declared the goodness and supremacy of God. By the time we were finished my heart felt peace and the atmosphere did too.
A couple of days later I was downtown Franklin and someone in authority came to a group of us and asked us to pray into a specific situation. They knew the city needed an act of God. That night watched as a sensitive situation dissolved with the power of prayer.
Racial Injustice is a spiritual battle that is manifesting physically on the earth, and it needs to be treated as such. We must be praying Kingdom truths into our communities. These Kingdom prayers, including repentance and forgiveness, are what sets the stage for the practical work of racial reconciliation to be done in peace. These are the prayers that soften hearts, open ears and give wisdom.
The spiritual is the first sphere that must be addressed in racial injustice. Church, it cannot be the only.
Anyone who wants to bring societal reform, no matter the pigment of their skin, needs to be educating themselves and having conversations. This is the difficult work of process, and Church, WE NEED IT. Sunday morning is still the most segregated hour of the week. This evaluation requires humility and asking the question,
“What if I was wrong?
What if my opinion was wrong?
What if my behavior was wrong?
What if my speech was wrong?
What if my heart posture was wrong?”
You can easily get lists of movies, books and documentaries that address the topic of racial injustice. I encourage you to critically read everything and be intentional about including information that you might disagree with.
Similarly, in conversations, one of my favorite phrases has become, “Can you help me understand…” I am not assuming motive but gaining another person’s perspective. It also immediately defuses anger and turns it into a dialogue.
Until the last month, this is where I have stopped. Yet, there is another sphere that needs the Church. Legislation. Again, this is messy and complicated. Anyone that is making it straight forward is foolish. There are ramifications for every choice, and that is why Heavenly Discernment is needed. Church, I encourage all of us to take a step (or several) towards understanding systematic racism in the United States. We need to be praying into how to change it on a Legislative level. Like Martin Luther King Jr. said, “It may be true that the law cannot change the heart, but it can restrain the heartless.”
Church, I challenge you to be a part of the process.
Church, I challenge you to sit in the messiness of the unknown.
Church, I challenge you to listen.
Church, I challenge you to mourn with those who mourn.
Church, I challenge you to proclaim that righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Church, I challenge you to share the Good News.
Church, I challenge you to pray the bold prayer of “On earth as it is in Heaven.”