To my Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

May the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you this day and always.

God has revealed the truth of God and the truth God has for all humanity in and through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. God has a creative and redemptive will for his creation and for all humanity. That will was exemplified in the way Jesus himself lived, in the way he lived for others.

Anytime anyone brings hurt, pain, and suffering, intentionally or out of ignorance, God grieves, and grieves deeply for God in Christ has given us the ability and the resources of mind and matter to overcome hate with love, to overcome fear with understanding and hope, to overcome dis-ease and disunity with forgiveness and restoration. We can be sure that God's gaze upon his creation these past few days (who am I kidding- for quite some time) brings God much sadness for we have had 2000 years of God's presence in Christ to help us overcome the barriers of sin stirring the pot of of hate and disdain.

We can do better! but only in obedience to the manner in which Jesus taught us how to live. But to live the way Jesus taught us to live means that we need break away from those patterns we have developed over time that reinforces differences that turn into discrimination, disagreements that turn into disunity, despair that turns into destruction. First we must confess our faults and shortcomings and seek God's mercy, admitting our contributions, intentional and otherwise, to the brokenness we experience in today's world. Next, we need submit ourselves fully into a life of prayer and healing that brings forgiveness, renewal, revival, and restoration, not just for some but for all. This submission before God is aimed at attitudes and behavior alike.

In times like the ones we are now experiencing with a lot of finger-pointing moving in all directions, I am reminded of a parable from Jesus as recorded in Luke's Gospel. "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted" (18:10-14).

Before entering the realm of accusation and blame, of separation and discord, it would be timely for us to again ponder these words of Jesus, as difficult as they may be for us to accept and live out: "But I say to you that LISTEN, LOVE your ENEMIES, do GOOD to those who HATE you, BLESS those who CURSE you, PRAY for those who ABUSE you... Be MERCIFUL, just as your FATHER is merciful" (Luke 6).

May God's blessings continue to pour out to us and from us as we live by our faith and hope in Jesus!    Pastor Joh