Thursday, June 4th, 2020

When it comes to social change, riots, looting, and violence are the work of the enemy in our society. Peaceful protests and coalition building is the work of Jesus in our society. When we lose control of our heads and our hearts, and allow ourselves to indulge in or even tacitly endorse violence, whatever change we seek will only retreat further from our grasp. Jesus does not change hearts through the same behavior that he was subjected to on the cross. In this time when media and certain people online are making excuses for and even openly supporting those who would destroy our communities and the people in them, stand up against them. Racism is an incredibly ugly thing but supporting violence as the means to overcome it only makes it uglier. Psalm 1 tells us, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;” Today, stand up for those who need standing up for – both the minority communities as well as those whose lives and livelihoods are being destroyed.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;” – Psalm 1:1 ESV