Why We Are Called To Be A Voice Of Hope

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”-Micah 7:7

“Broken people break things!”

That is the cry I heard from a gentleman on the television speaking about his experience in the Ferguson riots.

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you have heard about the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri and the impact it is having on a community.

It is a sad situation that has created so much pain and heartache, not only in the life of the parents who lost a son, but also a community of people who had nothing to do with the decision and have lost a lot due to selfish acts of individuals responding to a decision.

As I sat in bed, watching the devastation occurring in streets and buildings, while people protested and stood up to oppression, I could not help but pray.

I went downstairs, sat on my couch, watched the broadcast, and prayed. I prayed for the people of Ferguson and for the hurt I could only imagine they were feeling.

I am not here to discuss whether you agree or disagree with decision because that really doesn’t matter. As a whole, we should be concerned with the people who hold on to the cry “Broken people break things!”

Our hearts should break for those who feel like they are broken. Our knees should be raw from kneeling before our Lord seeking His wisdom on how to serve and reach out to the oppressed.

Unfortunately, many Christians have held on to the race card and have said “Well, if they didn’t live like thugs, they wouldn’t be treated like thugs” or “White people don’t understand and they sit in privilege”. Both concepts are misguided and both are anti-Christian.

Christ didn’t see race. Christ saw people who were in need of a Savior and stepped into their life with peace and understanding. He learned their life and lived it with them. He didn’t see a prostitute and say “Well, if she didn’t live like that, then she wouldn’t be treated like it”. He didn’t see the Samaritan woman at the well and say “Well, her culture is sloppy and if they didn’t act a certain way, then they wouldn’t have to be shunned”.

The issue we face is looking at people through colored lenses and not Christ lenses. We should be focused on how Christ sees the world and not how the world sees the world. Our hearts should be shifted beyond our “race” and focused on our world.

If you align yourself with the Christian faith, please hear me. We are to stand up for the rights of all people, whether they are minority or majority. There are poor and oppressed people of all races that deserve to be recognized. We cannot allow ourselves to align with a certain group, for the very fact that, through Christ, we have been brought into the family of God, no race to be found.

The cry of Ferguson, “Broken people break things”, should not be heard uttered from the lips of Christians. Through Christ we are made new. We are made whole. Our brokenness should be suppressed through the love of Christ and His righteousness.

Our hearts should hurt for those who are still broken. We acknowledge our sin and the fact that we are in a broken world, but we cannot ignore the sacrifice that was made to make us whole!

Let us stand for what is right, let us stand for what is good, and let us be humble in the process, because “He has showed you, O man, 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”.

Yet, let us live as a new creation in Christ in order to usher in reconciliation between brother and sister and Creator with creation. Our words should always be a message hope and redemption; not pain and contempt.

May our hearts be healed and our words of peace heard in this world of suffering. May we be the voice of hope in a time of despair.