Our response to the current tensions and heart break in our city

Dear Branchline (Tiffany),

John 15:12-13, “12 This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” 

Jesus said to love like he loves and lay down our lives for our friends. He was the perfect example to follow, so how do I love like him and lay down my life? I will lay down my perspective for another’s. I will lay down my experiences and pain and carry another’s. I will use my voice to elevate another’s. I will stand up and fight against racial injustice (or any kind of injustice) not just with my words, but with my actions. I will repent and ask for forgiveness for the pain I have caused by staying silent. I will start conversations with different people with life experiences and choices than mine and choose to listen and understand rather than judge and condemn. I will fail at all these things, but I will try again because “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” 

With love,

Tiffany

Branchline Church (Pastor Joe),

My heart is broken. We all watched George Floyd struggle and die under the knee of a police officer, and it has rocked every one of us to our core. What happened to George was severe injustice and wrong. This week, I’ve been angry, frustrated, numb, sad, and confused. I’ve been asking God “how do we change? What do we do?”

Our world is broken. We live in a broken world. Change is needed. As people of faith, our first course of action has always been and will always be prayer. Please pray (Luke 18:1-8)!

Our next course of action is love. Please move beyond words. Love is not love unless it is backed up with action. Let’s get out there and serve and be intentional (Mark 10:45; James 2:14-17). 

Lastly, this week’s tragic death of George Floyd demonstrates long standing racial injustice that has occurred for generations in this country. We NEED reconciliation. Let’s never forget that vertical reconciliation (restored relationship with God through Jesus) is always the answer. We know that hearts are not changed without Christ. People NEED Jesus. We NEED more of Jesus! It is OUT OF our relationship with Jesus that we are able to pursue horizontal reconciliation (restored relationship with others) with black men and women, and other people of color. This can only be done with heart’s that are humble and able to listen. 

Please read Ephesians 2 thoroughly. Paul speaks to both the necessity of vertical and horizontal reconciliation. Study this. Talk to God about the heart behind this, and how you can apply this to your everyday.

We are a church on mission. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Love like Jesus. Live by the power of the Holy Spirit, and stand up for injustice. 

Here is what we know. “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth” Job 19:25 NIV.

In Christ,

Pastor Joe