People have been asking me how I\u2019m reacting to all that\u2019s going on with the tragic shooting deaths of Alton Sterling<\/a>, Philando Castile<\/a>, and now the police officers in Dallas<\/a>. \u00a0I wrote out my thoughts this morning for our Jobs for Life<\/a> team. \u00a0I hope they\u2019re helpful to you.<\/p>\n JfL family,<\/p>\n It\u2019s difficult to know what to say or do in a time like this. \u00a0For the most part, I\u2019m numb. And yet,\u00a0we need to respond. This is what the Lord gave me this morning \u2013 lament, pray, act, and persevere. I hope it gives us some clarity.<\/p>\n Lamenting is something I know nothing of \u2013 a deep, gut wrenching mourning for the suffering going on in individuals, people groups, and our world. \u00a0As someone who\u2019s experienced little tragedy in my life, I can easily be callous to the guttural response that is necessary in a time like this.<\/strong><\/p>\n When Jesus learned that his friend, Lazarus was dead, He wept. \u00a0It wasn\u2019t a quiet cry, it was a loud, wailing cry \u2013 one born out of a desperate need\u00a0to be comforted in the face of deep, deep sadness resulting from a world consumed by sin and death.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t want to watch the videos at first but knew I had to.\u00a0<\/strong> I had a hard time getting through them and was forced to look away.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid to open up the news and social media to see what else is going on. But I can\u2019t avoid and wish these events away. I have to confront them.<\/p>\n You guys know I\u2019m not a crier, but this is too much.\u00a0 Too much pain, anger, fear, violence, and hate.\u00a0 My heart breaks for the particular people and families involved, for you, my African-American brothers and sisters, and your pain, for police officers and their families, for our broken and unjust systems\u2026<\/p>\n That is the lament God is calling me to.<\/p>\n Be still and know the Lord is near as He has promised and is fighting for us. He has not left us nor forsaken us.\u00a0Be quick to listen and slow to speak.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n My knee jerk reaction is to say something, have an opinion, or make a judgment. But that would be foolish. I must take the time to listen to God and to others \u2013 to hear His Spirit and understand the pain and feelings of my friends, both black and white.<\/p>\n When I truly listen and see God for who He is, I will have nothing to give, nothing to offer. \u00a0I can\u2019t try to bone up and be stronger or provide a plan for him to bless. My only response is to repent.<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019d like to think I don\u2019t need to repent, but I know I can\u2019t avoid it.\u00a0 I contribute to the broken systems of injustice. I discount people because of the way they look. I dismiss people\u2019s pain as no big deal. I take for granted the sacrifices men and women in uniform make to keep me safe. I\u2019m afraid to give away power and be generous with what God has given me.<\/p>\n While I can dismiss the shootings as complex, isolated events that don\u2019t affect me, they reveal underlying issues bubbling underneath the surface in every community that lead to racial division, abuse of power, and injustice \u2013 issues to which I am complicit.<\/p>\n Oh Lord, please forgive me.<\/strong> \u00a0Help me turn around and go the other way. \u00a0Just show me what to do.<\/p>\n While I want to fix the problem now, I must be willing to wait.<\/strong>\u00a0 The issues are too complex to be solved overnight. I need to join others to hear from the Lord, follow the lead of my African American\u00a0friends, try to understand the challenges police face on a daily basis, and address root problems, not just the symptoms.<\/p>\n Jesus\u2019 Gospel \u2013 a gospel that offers light in the midst of darkness, forgiveness for the unforgivable, and reconciliation across the greatest divides \u2013 gives us the resurrection power to provide real transformation.<\/p>\n So, when it\u2019s time (whether now\u00a0or later), I can\u2019t sit back and do nothing.<\/strong> I must act. I must stand with my\u00a0African-American friends, encourage my white friends to stay engaged, step into gaps of injustice, continue to build relationships across cultural lines, and be willing to get uncomfortable.<\/p>\n Doing nothing is not an option for any of us.<\/p>\n This will take a long time. And\u00a0we must not lose heart.<\/strong> \u00a0There really is a light at the end of the tunnel.\u00a0 I can not forget that. \u00a0But the journey will be hard.<\/p>\n When Lucy in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe asks if Aslan is safe, Mr. Beaver says:<\/p>\n \u201cSafe?\u201d Don\u2019t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? \u2018Course he isn\u2019t safe. But he\u2019s good. He\u2019s the King, I tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n This\u00a0unsafe King calls us to unsafe adventures in a broken world.<\/strong> We place our hope in His goodness and power to bring life from death, good from evil, and move out in power, love and self control that comes from His Spirit.<\/p>\n We know that we\u2019re in it for the long haul and we have to persevere. <\/i>The stakes are too high. The call to reconciliation so that all will flourish takes courage, bravery, tenacity, and endurance.<\/strong><\/p>\n As our enemies (Satan and our sin) conspire to separate us,\u00a0Christ died on the ultimate separator (the cross) to overcome\u00a0sin and death for us. \u00a0That is the good news of the Gospel. But that is not all. He gave us the power to do that over and over again together in this messed\u00a0up world.<\/p>\n And you will receive (dunamis<\/em><\/a>) power when the Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses. \u2013 Acts 1:8<\/p>\n We must boldly proclaim ALL of\u00a0this<\/em>.<\/strong> It is why we are here. It is the big picture of why we are engaging and mobilizing the Church. We aren\u2019t just trying to help people get jobs. We are empowering\u00a0all of us to live out God\u2019s plan for humanity. Only people who are filled with the dunamis <\/i>power of Christ can live this way.<\/p>\n Through the blood of Christ and His resurrected power, let\u2019s do this<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\"hands\"](\"https:\/\/davidspickard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/hands-300x199.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n1. Lament<\/b><\/h4>\n
2. Pray<\/b><\/h4>\n
3. <\/b>Act<\/b><\/h4>\n
4. Persevere<\/b><\/h4>\n
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![\"Screen-Shot-2015-03-02-at-11.28.54-AM\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/436\/2015\/09\/Screen-Shot-2015-03-02-at-11.28.54-AM-150x150.png\")
<\/a>David Spickard is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Jobs for Life (JfL), a global non-profit organization that engages and equips the local church to address the impact of joblessness through the dignity of work. He lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife, Alice, and their four children.<\/em><\/p>\n