Note on the Unrest in the Nation's Capital

CLICK for PDF: Torn Apart: A Response to the Attack on the Capitol • January 10, 2021

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Recent events have seen the walls of our democracy and government buildings torn apart. Many of our own citizens feel torn apart. The key to coming together may lie in Jesus, who didn't follow the left or right but followed the way of love.

A Pastoral Note on the Violence and Unrest in our Nation’s Capital

Dear Friends in Christ:

We, like you, were shocked and appalled as we watched the assault on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. unfold yesterday. There is no doubt that today it is hard to concentrate and think of anything else. The news exasperated an already tumultuous time in our country, and heaped added anxiety upon us all as we continue to persevere through the pandemic.

In the midst of these things, we as your pastors want to offer a message of encouragement and hope. Our great desire is that this event, like the death of George Floyd, can be a watershed moment to change the direction of our country and rescue us from the downward spiral of polarized dysfunction, incivility, and inhumanity that in its constancy can numb the soul. We join our voices with all those who condemn any form of political violence as an acceptable mode of democratic expression. At the same time, we pray mightily for those perpetrators of violence who perceive no other recourse by which to air their fears and frustrations.

Our call as Christians in the public square remains the same in terrible and good times alike. Day by day, no matter the challenges, we are to live out a way of love: we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul, and our neighbor as ourselves. This love is not trite or saccharine. It is existential, rooted in the life of God who dwells within us. It is tough: it has the courage to speak the truth in love. It is humble: it works to build up the human fabric, love our enemies, and heal divisions. This love is what is demanded of us. It is what our Lord expects of us. It is the measure by which we will be judged at the end of time. From our perspective, the way of love is not what we saw in the actions of those waving Jesus flags yesterday.

This is a messy world, but let us go forward with clarity of purpose, and not lose our hope, which is anchored in God alone. Please know that we care for you and we are here for you. May the power of God give us all courage to be instruments of God’s peace, truth, and justice in a world in desperate need of them.

Maranatha,

Peter+, Justin+, and Elizabeth+