Protesting!

Our country was founded in protest; Christianity was founded in protest; Martin Luther protested; Martin Luther King protested.

I went to the protest in our community last weekend.  I went to protests in the 60’s.

Proverbs 31:9 reads, “Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

I believe what happened to George Floyd was wrong and this incident released deep rooted passions caused by injustice and racism.

My prayer thoughts from this week:

·        A sizable percentage are hurting in our country and in our churches. I need to listen and identify with their pain.

·        Protesting is messy.  Good with bad.  Everything is messy.  Those who study revivals understand that good doctrine and heresy came from the same movement.  Family reunions are messy — some attending that we like and some attending we don’t.  Messy does not mean God isn’t in it.

·        As Christians we should walk into difficult situations, prayerfully gleaning the truth while standing against lies or indifference.

·        Jesus gave the loving example of protesting by not causing more injustice in His protests. He reconciled all to Himself through His death on the cross.

·        God is in the midst of the back to back difficulties of the Covid Crisis and our current protests. His ultimate purposes give us hope.

At the protest last weekend, there were pastors, churches, community leaders, activists, and all races.  Young and old.  Children in strollers.  Several dogs walking with their owners.  My wife was in the midst of everything taking photographs — when people bumped into her, they apologized.

I walked around the core block in our city last night looking at the broken windows.  What happened after dark last weekend had nothing to do with what happened during the initial hours of the protest.

I applaud our American and Christian right to protest.  I deplore the destruction of property and vandalism.

I want to listen to those that I don’t understand or with whom I disagree and I pray for all to find peace in Jesus.

Out of the 60’s riots I found Jesus.  I pray many to come to know Jesus in the next few years.  I pray for our country to be healed of racism through repentance.

One of the descriptions of the 60’s protests was “The Peace Movement”.  Much of the protesting was against the Vietnam War … not against those who served … but against what was perceived as an unjust war.

I didn’t find peace while protesting in the 60’s. I found peace when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.