“Right now we live in a country with a lot of fear and distrust and animosity between political parties, ethnicities, socioeconomic groups, generations, and other categories. And if we are being honest, our churches are just as divided by the same things. Maybe we will never have a perfect country or live in an ideal society, but the church must begin this process of confession and forgiveness. Can you imagine what it would be like to be a church that repents of systemic injustice and instead brings forth love and healing? What would it look like for us to love our neighbors across the aisle, our neighbors who watch a different news network, listen to different kinds of music, and attend different schools? . . . I’m an old man, and this is one of my dreams: that my descendants will one day live in a land where people are quick to confess their wrongdoing and forgive the wrongdoing of others and are eager to build something beautiful together.”
John M. Perkins, Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2017, page 171.
Related posts:
Pastor Note #143: Coercion & the Kingdom of God
Prayer Note #70: Love instead of Anger, Fear, Violence, & Cruelty
Pastor Note #142: Violence & Cruelty in America: Who Is My Neighbor?
Prayer Note #69: A Prayer (Drawn from Colossians 3:12-14)
Pastor Note #141: Getting My Bearing for These Times (Cont.): Rejecting Coercion
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