Pastor's Weekly Word

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18)

His name was Terrence. Her name is Betty. I didn’t know him. I don’t know her. I haven’t seen the video and certainly don’t know either of their life stories. What I do know is that we live in a world filled with fear. We let fear take over. We let fear see other people as a threat first and something else second. We let fear run our emotions, our decisions, our lives. Terrance is now dead because fear is a very powerful thing. We live in a world filled with fear.

If we live in a world filled with fear, we long for a world without it. We long for a world that can reconcile differences rather than shoot at them. We long for a world of no more tears, no more pain, and no more heartache. That kind of world understands and appreciates how a person’s race matters because people matter. That is the world we are after. As Christians, we are called not just to long for and pray for that world, but also to work towards that world. Prayer is the very thing that becomes a catalyst in us for not just sitting still, but actively working toward a world with less fear of one another.

His name was Terrence. Her name is Betty. Say their names. Picture their faces. Pray for them. Pray for their families. Pray for Tulsa. Allow your prayer to be that thing through which God changes your heart to see what you can do in this world to wipe fear from the face of the deep. Then, begin the hard work doing it. If we pray and do nothing, it was never prayer to begin with.