I have to say, I don't understand racial prejudice. Oh, along with you I see far too much evidence of it in the news as well as in the community. I see it on social media, hear it in my own family. But, I don't get it. I simply do not understand how one human being can make a judgment - and particularly a negative judgment - on another human being based on the pigment in their skin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKw6uqtGFfo
I am forever grateful for the kindness and friendship I was offered during the many years I was a visible minority in Asia. I still remember sitting down with one of my dear friends who was about to emigrate to a country in the west and confessing to her that sadly, in the country where she was going, she was unlikely to receive the same kind of kindness and respect that had been so generously given to me. Sadly in the local area where I live acts of hatred against Asian folks has risen dramatically during the time of this COVID-19 crisis. And then there's George Floyd and so many others like him who have suffered in their own communities based on the colour or their skin. My heart grieves.
When I was a child we sang the little chorus:
One of the first Bible verses most of us memorized was John 3:16 wasn't it?
Yes. Yes. Yes. We all affirm these things and then we head out into our communities and allow fear and anger and misjudgments to rise in our hearts and be expressed in our voices and actions.
Brothers and sisters, whatever colour you are, wherever in this world you live we are part of the world, part of the whoever and we are dearly loved by our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ has broken down barriers and as His followers we are called to live in a new way – no , we are privileged to live in a new way.
Gathered around God’s throne today are people from every race, tribe, and nation.
We ask forgiveness, Lord, for the many small and larger ways we hold prejudice and irrational hatred in our hearts. Forgive us Lord. There are no adequate words for the sorrow You feel as You watch humans scorn and despitefully use You when they express prejudice towards others for any reason whatsoever.
Forgive us for our failure to live out the Gospel that we are all precious in Your sight and that the blood of Jesus Christ flowed for the sin of all of us – we are all sinners. We have all fallen short of the glory of God.
Help us to listen long and care deeply for those visible minorities who have suffered unfair treatment for way too long. Help us to offer support and compassion and with humility lift them up and in Your name, do whatever we can to “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You” in their presence.
Lord I love the worship song that reminds us that “in my Father’s house there’s a place for me – and that me is persons of every colour. We are chosen, not forsaken. We are who You say we are.”
So Lord, we pray blessing and healing on all our brothers and sister of colour who experience the pain of racism today. Those of us who are white acknowledge that we just don’t know the depths of the pain and the fear so many have experienced and the insecurity they’ve had to endure because of unjust, unfair targeting and profiling. We don’t know the depths of their pain but You do and so we entrust them to Your care and in whatever ways we are meant to serve and lighten their load today, please show us, Lord. As Jesus took a towel and washed the feet of His disciples so today would You help us wash the feet of those of colour who have suffered for so long.
I encourage you to take a few minutes and play the video “Who You Say I Am” and as you listen, use it to bless those who are wounded and shaken by racial prejudice. It’s time to humbly offer our hands to our brothers and sisters of colour and together look towards the Lamb of God who died on the cross for all of us who is now seated on the throne. With those from every nation, tribe, people, and language let’s stand in solidarity and proclaim:
Because – nothing else matters. Nothing else has eternal value. Nothing else is of God.
Who am I that the highest King would welcome me?
I was lost but He brought me in,
Oh His love for me. Oh His love for me
Who the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed
I'm a child of God, Yes I am
Free at last, He has ransomed me, His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin Jesus died for me
Yes He died for me
Who the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed,
I'm a child of God. Yes I am
In my Father's house there's a place for me
I'm a child of God, Yes I am
I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am
You are for me, not against me
I am who You say I am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKw6uqtGFfo
I am forever grateful for the kindness and friendship I was offered during the many years I was a visible minority in Asia. I still remember sitting down with one of my dear friends who was about to emigrate to a country in the west and confessing to her that sadly, in the country where she was going, she was unlikely to receive the same kind of kindness and respect that had been so generously given to me. Sadly in the local area where I live acts of hatred against Asian folks has risen dramatically during the time of this COVID-19 crisis. And then there's George Floyd and so many others like him who have suffered in their own communities based on the colour or their skin. My heart grieves.
When I was a child we sang the little chorus:
Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
One of the first Bible verses most of us memorized was John 3:16 wasn't it?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
We were all encouraged to put our own name into the generic "world" and "whoever". Yes. Yes. Yes. We all affirm these things and then we head out into our communities and allow fear and anger and misjudgments to rise in our hearts and be expressed in our voices and actions.
Brothers and sisters, whatever colour you are, wherever in this world you live we are part of the world, part of the whoever and we are dearly loved by our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ has broken down barriers and as His followers we are called to live in a new way – no , we are privileged to live in a new way.
Gathered around God’s throne today are people from every race, tribe, and nation.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude
that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and
language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. Revelation 7:9
We ask forgiveness, Lord, for the many small and larger ways we hold prejudice and irrational hatred in our hearts. Forgive us Lord. There are no adequate words for the sorrow You feel as You watch humans scorn and despitefully use You when they express prejudice towards others for any reason whatsoever.
Forgive us for our failure to live out the Gospel that we are all precious in Your sight and that the blood of Jesus Christ flowed for the sin of all of us – we are all sinners. We have all fallen short of the glory of God.
Help us to listen long and care deeply for those visible minorities who have suffered unfair treatment for way too long. Help us to offer support and compassion and with humility lift them up and in Your name, do whatever we can to “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You” in their presence.
Lord I love the worship song that reminds us that “in my Father’s house there’s a place for me – and that me is persons of every colour. We are chosen, not forsaken. We are who You say we are.”
So Lord, we pray blessing and healing on all our brothers and sister of colour who experience the pain of racism today. Those of us who are white acknowledge that we just don’t know the depths of the pain and the fear so many have experienced and the insecurity they’ve had to endure because of unjust, unfair targeting and profiling. We don’t know the depths of their pain but You do and so we entrust them to Your care and in whatever ways we are meant to serve and lighten their load today, please show us, Lord. As Jesus took a towel and washed the feet of His disciples so today would You help us wash the feet of those of colour who have suffered for so long.
I encourage you to take a few minutes and play the video “Who You Say I Am” and as you listen, use it to bless those who are wounded and shaken by racial prejudice. It’s time to humbly offer our hands to our brothers and sisters of colour and together look towards the Lamb of God who died on the cross for all of us who is now seated on the throne. With those from every nation, tribe, people, and language let’s stand in solidarity and proclaim:
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”
Revelation 7:10
Because – nothing else matters. Nothing else has eternal value. Nothing else is of God.
My old self has been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me.
So I live in this earthly body by trusting
in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
Who am I that the highest King would welcome me?
I was lost but He brought me in,
Oh His love for me. Oh His love for me
Who the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed
I'm a child of God, Yes I am
Free at last, He has ransomed me, His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin Jesus died for me
Yes He died for me
Who the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed,
I'm a child of God. Yes I am
In my Father's house there's a place for me
I'm a child of God, Yes I am
I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am
You are for me, not against me
I am who You say I am
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