Unity in Compassion

In Revelation 7, we see a snapshot of heaven, of a great mass of people gathered around the throne of God, and among the believers we see, there are no exclusions; all who call upon Jesus are there:
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

God calls us to be heavenly minded, setting our minds on things above.  When we consider that we will be one in heaven, brought there from every part of the earth, from a large variety of what are referred to as "peoples," that can challenge us to see people of different racial and cultural backgrounds than we as truly our brothers and sisters, with whom we will be spending eternity. As Christ's representatives, we can demonstrate what it means to be unified, not bound by prejudice.

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In Acts 17, we see the common heritage in the Lord that all of us, regardless of racial or cultural
background, from which we all have come. Paul says:
26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being...

Again in America, hearts have been stirred as people have taken to the streets of another American city to protest what they perceive as injustice along racial lines.  In this case, as an article on The Stream website points out, last Friday, "the Missouri Judicial Circuit Court of St. Louis announced that a former local police officer was found not guilty of murder charges. The court found that white officer Jason Stockley was operating in self-defense when, in 2011, he fatally shot black man Anthony Lamar Smith following a high-speed car chase."

The article notes that:

The court’s decision set off a wave of protests downtown. Thousands gathered Friday afternoon in downtown St. Louis to voice their views on the decision.

And, widespread news reports indicate that the protests, which have had violent components, have continued in the city, which is close to the site of the Ferguson, Missouri, riots of 2014.

The Stream article featured comments from Jonathan Tremaine Thomas, a local African-American pastor. He had "joined the crowd downtown to urge a nonviolent response," according to the story. In a Facebook Live video, he stated, “This is an incredibly and seriously painful situation for hundreds of thousands of Americans..."  He cited the history of racial tension in the area, and said that,
“In this city, it was decided in 1857 that African Americans were not citizens and therefore were not entitled to the due processes of the U.S. Constitution and the judicial system," a reference to the Dred Scott decision.

Thomas said that “As a black man, I am somewhat emotional in this hour. I feel a lot of things in light of what has happened..."  He also added, "But the presence of anger does not mean the absence of love."

According to the story, he adds:

“God actually tells us specifically what our commission is in times of crisis. His Word says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for you shall be called the sons of God,’” he cited the Sermon on the Mount. “He has initiated a people in the earth who would actually be the bearers of good news in the midst of bad news.”

Referring to how Jesus "looked upon the crowds and He was moved with compassion," he said, "He was moved with compassion, then He did miracles. It’s the compassion piece that we’re contending for in the church right now."

I came across another article on the site announcing Ronnie Floyd's selection to head the National Day of Prayer.  He is the former President of the Southern Baptist Convention.  He stated, in response to a question about race and ethnic diversity:

Right after I was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, occurred that was so unfortunate. Racial tensions simmering in American culture came to the surface. I immediately got involved. Working with many leaders — not just ones who look like me, but committed brothers in Christ who are African-American, Asian, Hispanic — we released an article that ended up in a lot of different places.

This began a real movement toward racial unity. I leaned into that during my tenure as SBC president. We joined with the National Baptist Convention, the largest predominantly African-American Christian denomination. Their president Reverend Dr. Jerry Young led a national conversation on racial unity with SBC leaders. Then he and I led a group to Jackson, Mississippi, which even the New York Times wrote about in a favorable way.

I am of the strong conviction that government has to do what it’s supposed to do, but government cannot solve racial tensions in America. Local churches must go into their communities and model racial unity. When that happens, it will make a difference long-term in this country.

In the context of the National Day of Prayer, Floyd underscored the importance of bringing people together. He said, "One way you do that is by having honest conversations. You provide a platform where people of all backgrounds are represented in relationship."

I am thankful for National Day of Prayer experiences that I have been a part of or been aware of. When you consider the racial harmony in events such as the Montgomery Prayer Breakfast, which is championed by two leaders of different races - the mayor and commission chair, or the state National Day of Prayer gathering at the capital, or in a city such as Opelika, where I was last year, you see an intentional effort to bring people of different races and backgrounds together .  When church leaders are working across racial and cultural lines, there is great potential to see Biblical harmony take place.  We don't all believe the same about some issues, but we can find commonality in Christ.

We are blessed in so many of our communities to have an awareness of the need for God's people to come together.  And, there is a great history of events that Faith Radio has covered that can underscore the importance of coming together.  Common events can lead to meaningful conversation and understanding, so that the body of Christ can display the power of Christ's compassion in a troubled world.

Finally, we can seek opportunities to promote peace.  Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers" - we have that calling and we possess the capacity to do just that.  We do have to search our own hearts and consider how God wants to cleanse us of unhealthy attitudes and how He wants to bring us into greater fellowship with each other.  Peace comes when we lay down selfishness, concentrate on the common good, and desire to exalt Christ.