How to Respond: Church Edition
Our nation has polarized and politicized moments of pain. That isn’t meant to be a brash statement, just an observation. It is one of the ways as humans process difficult topics. Politics is a common filter that is known in a wider context.
Known.
Maybe that is part of the reason we respond in such a way. We go to what we know and what makes us feel known.
However, there is no political party that can take the place of Jesus. It is ONLY Jesus that has the message of true Reconciliation – to Him and to each other. While other arenas can bring some level of progress, only Jesus can truly heal the broken spirit. Jesus lays out his prayer in John 17:20-23. Jesus’ last prayer one earthwas that the body of Christ would be unified, so that people will come to know Jesus.
“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
In these moments of pain, how are local churches to respond in a way that honors Jesus? In a way that offers unity, healing, and the life-saving gospel message. I have sat with dozens of pastors and asked the same question. Here are some ways that I have seen be successful:
1) Recognize the moment from the pulpit and pray for those involved.
2) Go to places of pain and turn them into places of prayer.
To learn more about how to do this become a Local Organizer with Civil Righteousness.
3) Host a space in your building for people to come and process. You can provide refreshments, prayer, or even private meeting rooms for specialists in racialized trauma to meet with people.
4) Teach on Biblical justice and righteousness.
I recommend taking Foundations by Civil Righteousness University, although there are many great teachers on this topic.
5) Have a small group or team that is dedicated to engaging justice issues with the heart of Jesus.
Again, there are a lot of great organizations who do this: Civil Groups with Civil Righteousness, Be the Bridge Groups, Race and Grace Mondays by 24-7 Prayer to name a few. If you would like to do a book study I have recommendations listed in these two blog posts: Blog Post One and Blog Post Two.