After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” – Acts 13:15
Our emotions are quite useful. They notify us of issues. When you are upset by the news of heinous crimes, your irritation is designed to bring you to your knees in prayer. Prayer for the corrupt hearts of the perpetrators. Prayer for forgiveness of your own sins. In addition to promoting prayer, evil acts ought to drive us to taking action. I suppose that sometimes this could mean organizing protests – and some choose this course. Peaceful protests by American citizens are protected by our Bill of Rights. This doesn’t mean that protests are always wise (like why would it be wise to take to the streets in protest at night?), but we ought not imagine that everyone is always thinking clearly enough to make wise decisions. (Perhaps you have made unwise judgments in the face of difficulties not of your own making?)
Many people do not regard sitting back and waiting (or ‘just praying’) as a sufficient action. Loving our neighbors requires us to listen and try to understand their frustrations. We should be interested in helping to establish safe forums for rational discourse so that we can hear them. Loving our neighbors means letting them know that we care enough to listen.
The context of listening to each other promotes our own ability to share the good news of the Gospel. The people of God’s church ought to want to listen. The pastors of God’s church ought to promote the desire to hear and understand each other. Think about a time that you felt that someone else refused to hear you out. True social justice (not the imagined gospel of Social Justice Warriors) involves upholding the right to speak without the fear of oppression for doing so.
God uses speech to communicate His Gospel. He tells us who He is through words. My personal view is that the protests and riots during the pandemic spun out of control because free speech is no longer regarded as free. People don’t perceive that they are being heard. To be clear, I believe that many took advantage of the situation (including the angst from the coronavirus and the perception of a lack of justice) to foist sinful attacks on others. There is one and only remedy: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We are blessed to live in a town that does not deny free speech. But, defense of this freedom is not the same as listening. There might be some who still perceive that they are not being heard. They might perceive that no one cares to hear.
Let us prayerfully consider how we can promote speaking freely so that others can hear the Gospel. This likely begins by letting others know that we are interested in hearing what they have to say. Even if Christians are not to blame for unrest, we have a responsibility to listen and understand. This does not mean condoning malfeasance. But, it does mean asking God to use us in making a difference. We want open dialogue. How can God use you? Loving our neighbors means letting them know that we care enough to listen. Let us pray and listen.
