The horrific events surrounding George Floyd’s death surely warrant a national outcry for justice. We should demand better and strive for never allowing such to happen again in a Nation that pledges to be “indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” Tragically, for many in our nation, the news of Floyd’s death was not an anomaly, but it was instead the familiar haunting of a nightmare that will not end. For many in our Nation the news coming from Minneapolis is suffocating like a knee bearing down on the back of the neck.
Now is a time for mourning and lament.
We mourn the loss of life. We lament the senseless death of George Floyd and those lives that have been senselessly lost, both law enforcement officers and civilians, in the rioting following his death. We pray for justice. We pray for the families of those who have died, for Gospel peace and hope to comfort them.
We lament bad actors. We acknowledge and mourn that there are law enforcement officers who have abused their power and authority leading them to dehumanize image bearers of God through unjust treatment and the use of excessive force. We acknowledge and mourn that there have been civilians who have taken advantage of peaceful protests to act unlawfully senselessly damaging property and callously harming image bearers of God. We also acknowledge that bad actors, both law enforcement and civilian, do not represent the whole nor do they delegitimize the good intentions and efforts of either group. We pray that the Lord works through the efforts of both law enforcement and citizens to bring about a society better committed to equity and justice. We also pray for the safety of both, law enforcement and citizens, as they strive toward productive ends.
We mourn the division in our Nation. We acknowledge and lament that this is a hyper-polarized time in our society. It is tragic that conversations that require great wisdom and nuance have been reduced to tweetable soundbites tailored for partisan politics. The absence of civility and empathy in our Country is alarming and is cause for mourning. We are praying for empathy that leads to listening and productive dialogue which in turn brings about healing, unity, and pathways forward.
We lament that far too often the church is not countercultural enough. We acknowledge that it is all too common that the church is influenced by the culture instead of the church influencing the culture. Brothers and Sisters, we have the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of the King of kings who died for His enemies so that God could be both just and justifier in saving us. There is no better news than the Gospel and it should produce fruit in our lives that creates a counterculture of love, unity, and justice in the church that influences the world. We pray that the church ministers the healing balm of the gospel beaming with light and seasoned with salt.
Ultimately, we are praying for “His Kingdom come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). We pray that prayer in faith knowing that our Father in Heaven is Sovereign and He will bring all things to their rightful conclusion. As one of our Elders said recently, “the light of the gospel will shine brighter the darker the surroundings.” Take heart, the gospel is big enough and Christ is mighty…He saved you.
Written by Matt Baker