Grace and peace,
I was deeply disturbed by the Reuters image of the Black woman riding the Metro in Washington D.C. surrounded by masked men. My mind was swirling, my heart ached, and I was torn between screaming and crying.
Then on Tuesday, Rhonda Rogers, my friend and colleague, posted an augmented image of the Reuters photo (see below). Her updated image showed the young woman surrounded by ancestors who were guarding her.
I shared Rhonda's post and I added my comments. I want to share them here for those with whom I am not on Facebook or not connected:
"We are all made in the image of God. Jesus taught that everyone is our neighbor. He summed the Ten Commandments in this way, "We should love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our might and love our neighbors as ourselves." I would offer that we should love our neighbors not as ourselves, but as God loves our neighbors.
This image calls us to live the gospel not simply read it. To follow Jesus is to love louder; to stand in the breach and to love one another, to protect neighbors.
We cannot turn away from the original image. It is a wake up call to stand up for our neighbors. May we be emboldened to protect our neighbors in our words and actions.
May our better angels reach out to protect those in need,
Pastor JJ |
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