At Such a Time as This, What Shall I Do?
by Abiding Love
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
Politics divides us. Race divides us.
Our hearts are unsettled.. Emotions swirl. We are angry. Frustrated. Fearful. Sad. And maybe confused. What am I to think? What am I to do?
Politicians will tell you what to do. Newscasters and talk show hosts and famous personalities will tell you what to do. Social media will tell you what to do. Stop listening to them. Maybe both sides are right… and both are wrong.
Listen to God. What does the Lord require? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
ACT JUSTLY
Justice is needed for George Floyd. Justice is also needed for David Dorn, a retired St. Louis police captain shot during riots. (He also is black.)
Police and other authorities should be respected and honored. Police and other authorities should be held accountable for their actions.
Destroying society through rioting is awful. Not addressing systemic problems that hurt people is also awful.
America is a blessing and should be appreciated. America has societal sins that must be addressed.
SHOW MERCY
Black lives matter. The parable of the Good Samaritan meant that at that given moment the neighbor who needed help was the man on the side of the road beaten and left for dead. At this moment, with George Floyd lying breathless on the road, there is a specific need to recognize and act so this doesn’t happen again.
All lives matter. The heinous sin committed gives no right to hurt others in vengeance. Violence must be spoken against as a whole. The cycle of hurt must be broken.
Christians are called upon by Christ to be the ones to break the cycle of hurt. Be kind and compassionate forgiving just as Christ forgave you. The biggest impact you can have is loving your neighbor. Mercy is a love that will go out of its way. Mercy right now might mean lending an ear to someone who doesn’t see things the same as you and actually trying to compassionately understand where they are coming from. Mercy means speaking kindly, even when addressing hard issues. Mercy means turning your cheek and forgiving. Show mercy to the people around you, especially the people around you who are different than you.
WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD
Too many people who are speaking and acting today, do so with a sense of self-righteousness.
Confess your sin. You have a sinful flesh. Confess where your thoughts and attitudes have become racist, vindictive, hateful, hurtful, hardened against the thought of loving and respecting others. Confess where where your thoughts towards authorities are disrespectful, hateful, bristling, and rebellious.
Go to the cross. Paul said, “This is a trustworthy saying: Jesus Christ died to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.” These are the glorious riches of grace. Each of us can say, “There is no sinner worse than me, but Jesus died for me. And I am loved. I am forgiven. I am saved.”
Carry your cross. Such saving grace melts away self-righteousness and leaves us with humble praise and thanksgiving. Christ’s love compels to live as servants of Him who died for us. That means we will daily strive to crucify our sinful desires and live as God would want, acting justly and loving mercy.
This isn’t politics. This is Christianity.
In Christ,
Pastor Gensmer
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