As followers of Christ, in humility and hope, we grieve the racism, racial injustice, and brokenness of our country. In repentance, we pursue the sacredness, dignity, and preciousness of all human life. We mourn with the brokenhearted and oppressed, and we celebrate the beautiful ethnic diversity inherent in God’s creation. As God in Christ desires us to be reconciled to Him, so we are instruments of His mercy, grace, kindness, and Gospel to all our brothers and sisters.
Please stand with our church in prayer for healing and hope. This Thursday evening, our Stonebriar Prayer & Praise time will be devoted to praying for our nation and all God’s children. We invite you to join us on Facebook or YouTube at 8:30 p.m. on June 4 as we cry out to our Father in Heaven, Who loves and hears each one of us.
Our staff is here to listen, pray for, and care for everyone in our church family and community. If you have a prayer request or need someone to talk to, reach out to us at info@stonebriar.org.
A Letter From Senior Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Injustice, Grief, Lawful Protests, and Inexcusable Violence
Through the past several years, I have often been disappointed to see hateful actions and to hear disrespectful words from those who serve as our elected officials in high places. As I have observed this ever-increasing ugliness in our culture, I’ve wondered what it would take to turn the tide and restore us as a nation to a level of decency. Surely, that isn’t asking too much! Living in loving harmony and treating one another with genuine kindness and mutual dignity within diversity seems like a reasonable goal for all of us to shoot for, doesn’t it?
I’m convinced it is . . . unless, of course, we lose our way and allow enemies like personal prejudice and racial injustice to seep in and poison our minds, leading us away from all things pure and peaceful, replacing them with all things bad and brutal. At that point, the worst side of human nature kicks in, as darkness eclipses the light, as anger blocks all hope for harmony, and as retaliation blinds us to the path that leads to true reconciliation and meaningful relationships.
The heartbreaking death of Mr. George Floyd has brought sadness to all of us who care about our fellow human beings. His whole family is especially grieved over the brutal way his life was taken. We, too, grieve. Tragically, the family’s grief has only deepened as they have witnessed the out-of-control violence that has spread into the streets of our nation’s cities during the days and nights that followed their loved one’s death. Businesses and shops have been broken into, looted, set on fire, and many of the owners and managers have been assaulted. Even one of our nation’s most historic churches was vandalized and set ablaze.
While none of us would deny anyone the right to a peaceful demonstration to express his or her protest, no law-abiding citizen can justify the extreme and violent actions of those who have broken the law, spread their venom of rage, and brought disrespect to the man whose life was taken. We who truly love our nation of liberty and justice, law and order, abhor such inexcusable reactions. May our God of all grace guide us back into harmony and heal our land as He comforts all of those in the Floyd Family, whose lives will never be the same.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Senior Pastor of Stonebriar Community Church