From the Pastor, June 5, 2020

Beloved,

 

The past week has been hard. Our country is not only STILL coping with the pandemic on a day-to-day basis, but now we are also struggling with the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. Prejudice, racial bias, social injustice–all of it was brought to our attention once again through the horrific phone video. For our neighbors of color, these events are always happening. But this time, a video caught the entire scene.  You can’t erase that.  You just can’t.

 

And we shouldn’t.

 

If you read the words of Jesus and follow his most basic teaching, it is all about love. Loving God, and loving our neighbor like we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). Jesus who loved the hungry, and he fed them (Luke 9:10-17). Who loved the social pariah and offered her water that quenches all thirst (John 4). To know and follow Jesus is to accept that we are to love.

 

Real loving is hard.  A true struggle at times. First, real loving is unselfish. It demands we place others before our own needs. It requires voice and action on behalf of those who need it. Silence is NOT love, it is simply indifference.  To me, indifference is vile, it feeds a fire longer than a burst of anger. Indifference is the absence of love.

 

I am deeply upset.  I believe you are, too. I watch and worry over the protests, I despair over the anger that springs forth from small quarters and overrides the peaceful messaging of solidarity, voice and action. I pray for social reform, for better law enforcement training and accountability, and for our children.  My mind whirls now constantly, and frankly I am grieving.

 

But we cannot be indifferent. We must support and love our neighbors, all of them, but especially now our neighbors of color.  However you can do this, please do it. Do something. Do anything. But don’t be indifferent and do nothing. Our faith calls us to be active participants in our world.  Do what you can and feed the spirit of love and choke out indifference.