Elevated Friday, June 5th, 2020

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of leadership that prevented a protest from turning violent this week. In Detroit, 16-year-old Stefan Perez began marching peacefully with 15 people, but soon attracted many more. Stefan soon realized that this growing group was following him as their leader. After they completed their march with no looting or fighting, Stefan urged those following him to comply with the city’s curfew and go home. Though some tried to defy his intentions and turn violent, Stefan’s leadership and voice through his megaphone was able to keep the group peaceful and compliant with the city’s safety measures. The Mayor, Mike Duggan, heard of this and called Stefan to say, “Son, I was watching the video and I saw your leadership. I have tears in my eyes. You are everything that is special about the city of Detroit...We’re going to fight this injustice because of people like you.” Stefan’s leadership in a time of great emotion and agitation is what made the difference between peace and violence, and ended up making a real impact on leadership in the city.

In the Book of Luke, there is the following account: “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.” Rejection, discrimination, and perceived hate have always stirred up strong emotions in people. Those emotions, too often, transform into the same rejection, discrimination, and hatred that caused them. Even James and John, two of Jesus’ closest friends and confidants, fell victim to the same trap when they were rejected by the Samaritans. It took Jesus’ leadership to calm them and turn them from responding to sin with sin. Peace, order, and progress require strong and Godly leadership. Today, turn from those who are responding to sin with more sin and turn to Jesus, whose leadership is right and true.

“As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.” – Luke 9:51-56

Original Article:

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