The events in Charlottesville remind me that our nation's profoundly racialized past is firmly sedimented in the institutions, attitudes, and norms of the present. Facing up to these realities—naming and seeking to dismantle them—require something far more than the human spirit alone can muster.
Among women in New York City, single mothers are the most economically insecure. Additionally, women disproportionately face domestic violence. Because we serve a God who is strong and never forsakes, we lift up in prayer women across our city who are in vulnerable situations.
This summer, we’re celebrating our 3,700+ volunteers who gave over 47,000 hours to serve the poor of our city this past fiscal year.
Since Eden, none of us has ever really been home. But the King will return, and it is only in this Kingdom of diverse oneness that we will truly be home. And that should inform our posture toward the strangers and foreigners among us.
When we encounter weakness, we must first pursue our Lord who knows what it means to suffer more than anyone. Only then can we join together with our neighbors to serve the meek and the poor in spirit without burnout or triumphalism.