Dear Friends United in Love of Christ and His Church:
I am not unaffected by the intense pain and suffering from the frustration, grief and anger expressed in this moment as a powerful voice determined to overcome the repugnance of racism in all its deplorable forms. My voice joins the chorus of all who themselves have been assaulted, disrespected, discarded, overlooked and assailed because the color of their skin, Slavery is our country’s original sin and its evil vestiges continue to wield destructive and dehumanizing force.
Let me be perfectly clear: every act of discrimination offends God deeply. Racism is a terrible and repugnant sin.
Genuine Christians know, profess, and uphold biblical truth that the One True God created all people in the His image. God demands respect, reverence and dignity characterize all human interactions.
The many faithful police officers who dare to uphold their oaths to defend and protect are as disgusted and reviled by the actions of bad officers as we all are. They strengthen the thundering unity insisting justice must be served and that this fateful hour cannot pass and will not pass absent justice being administered to the members of the Minneapolis police who murdered George Floyd. Horrifically, George’s murder is the latest police killing in a long list of other black community members including Ahmaud, Breonna, Laquan, Michael and a dozen more caught recently on tape together with scores of other black victims of deplorable criminal acts of racial violence through the abuse of power that escaped recording.
I cannot begin to understand the depth of pain and suffering felt in the black community resulting from continuing crimes committed against them by those in power. I fully align myself with all committed to ending the evil of racial discrimination, pursuing justice and holding accountable those who abuse power and practicing respect, reverence and inclusion of everyone.
When we suffer it is normal to look for causes and remedies. And passionately seek we must, doing so with special care for keeping our hearts pure. Making false accusations and seeking scapegoats is great temptation when emotions are elevated because of the heinousness of the crimes committed. Not finding a scapegoat, people invent one just as Hitler did in making Jews scapegoats for all the problems of the German nation.
Friends, we will deepen our resolve to be an inclusive and accepting Christian community of believers who work tirelessly for justice – especially on behalf of those in most need of mercy – while keeping our hearts pure. Christian charity must be marshalled to ensure intense pain and suffering does not devolve into bitterness, baseless blame and what the Bible describes as the hardened heart.
Intentional disciples know Jesus’ teaching. Here there is no place for phony Christians, only real ones who commit to Christ and His teachings. God’s gift of peace begins with daily accepting Jesus as Lord, Savior and Messiah and from this, working tirelessly to be reconciled and to reconcile others with God.
Fear is the favorite tactic of the devil who is real and relentlessly seeks to scatter and divide us from one another. When fear displaces charity, intense pain and suffering boils over into vengeance and violence and Satan wins. It will not be so with us.
Here, we will seek for God to use as instruments of mercy and peace. The battle we are waging is no less than Satan and we will rally together under the words of the apostle Paul: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome with good” (Romans 12:21).
In Jesus Through Mary, Father Dave
