A Time to Mourn, Listen/Learn, and Love in Action

Good morning Sojourners and friends, I wanted to send a brief note due to the nature of what we see happening right down the street in our own city and around our nation.

I think most of you know that during COVID we have opted to pre-record our weekend messages for a variety of reasons. If we did not pre-record this past weekend would have likely felt very different as our nation witnessed the murder of George Floyd. This is a time where we should have been able to gather together to mourn alongside one another, to learn together, and to love by using our voice for change.

I have been intentional to limit my social media and news in take, but also taken in my fair share over the last week. My heart has been torn on when to respond, how to respond, and how to lead and guide you all as your pastor. There area variety of reasons for this and I wanted to share briefly.

Many of us in the majority culture get very uncomfortable in times like this and I include myself in that category; but imagine how our black and brown brothers and sisters feel a lot of the time in their daily lives. I watched an interview with a lifelong Portlander who said, "The black community feels they don't belong here... we feel like we're not treated fair here."

This broke my heart and it also made me want to make sure I am leading us all to lament in this time. As a nation we witnessed the death of a man who is created in the image of God. I heard one pastor mention how the death of George Floyd is like a parable for all of the years of injustice the black community has experienced and felt as a whole.

I also want to make sure I am leading us to listen/learn, not to CNN and Fox, but to listen to what the black community is saying. To listen to the heartbeat of Black Lives Matter, and to keep one another accountable to educate ourselves so that when we say we are "pro-life" we mean for all lives, not just the unborn. Issues of race are at the heart a gospel issue. This is a time for the church not to let this be a passing fad in this cultural moment; but we need to listen, learn, grow, and be prepared to take up this struggle.

I also want to lead us to love like Christ loved. Have you ever stopped to think we worship Jesus who looked nothing like the majority culture. Christ loved all people equally, and provided a way for every single man, woman, and child of every color to have a restored relationship with God. As image bearers of God we need to love the black community around us in such a way that if nobody else in the culture is hearing them and giving them a voice the church is. True love will move our hearts towards action. If you find that your heart is not there then I encourage you to stop and seek the Lord. Ask God to move your heart the way his heart is moved towards times like these.

As the shepherd of this church I also want to make sure I am protecting us in loving one another. The enemy would want nothing more than to divide us over COVID, racial injustice, or anything else happening around us. My prayer is we would love one another well as we continue on this journey of learning what it means to follow Jesus and follow him faithfully.

Let me be clear, I am learning alongside all of you. Some of you are likely further down the road in your understanding than me; but I want us all to be in this together. Here are a couple practical ways we will do this in the coming weeks and months:

  1. Gospel Community will do a 5 week study called UNDIVIDED: Your Church & Racial Reconciliation starting in mid-June. This is something I encourage you to make a high priority as we learn from J.D. Greear and Dhati Lewis. This would be a great time to invite people from the community in as well because this is a conversation every single person, Christian or not, should care about.

  2. During an upcoming Gathering, our friend from One Hope/Genesis Church, Ricardo Barber is going to come in and deliver a message for us, have a Q/A, etc. We have already been discussing ways we can come together to help lead the change locally in our community as people of faith.

  3. Support black owned businesses. This is a small way, but small things often lead to significant things. Even if this means going out of your way during the summer months to support them and let them know you are thankful they are in our community and city. There are a number of black owned businesses in and near our neighborhood so you don't even have to go far. https://mercatuspdx.com/directory/black-owned-businesses/#!directory/ord=rnd

I love every single one of you and consider it a privilege to have a part in leading you even in times like this one. Please know I am here for you, praying for every single one of you, and look forward to the day we are all together in person again soon.

Matt Boyd, Pastor

Sojourn Church