Letter: Coming together for God

Wade Pond, Lima

On June 21, there was a time of prayer held at Town Square in downtown Lima.

Multiple pastors joined together to lift a prayer over the tragic shootings in Charleston, South Carolina, which claimed the lives of nine African-Americans who had gathered at the church for Bible study. In the following week, six predominantly African-American churches have burned. While investigations were still ongoing, the first has already been declared an intentional act.

These tragedies have brought to the forefront a reality that we would often like to ignore: Racism is alive and well in America. It certainly doesn’t seem like the “melting pot” I was taught about in elementary school.

We are told some of the disturbing details of the Charleston shooter’s manifesto, how he wanted to incite a “race war,” and his overall hatred for people of darker skin tones. The reality is that the battle that this young man suffered was not a physical one but rather a spiritual battle. His soul was filled with hatred. It was absent of the love for his neighbor.

Observing and viewing the actions and reactions of our nation, it showed me that not only is racism alive and well, but so are love, forgiveness and reconciliation. Hearing the voices of communities all across our nation, as well as in downtown Lima, coming together to proclaim God’s good news in prayer and song remind me of a simple scriptural passage: “Do not repay evil for evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17, 21).

Perhaps the fact that the Charleston nine were doing something that any church would be doing, praying, studying the Scriptures, encountering God in their midst, makes it just a little more real for those of us who are white. Maybe we can embrace Paul’s teachings in Galatians chapter 3: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

And with a final word, perhaps we can bend our ear to the Lord and savior, which we share when Christ teaches us of the greatest commandment in Mark 12: “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Thank you to those who shared in Town Square that day.

The Rev. Wade Pond is pastor of Faith Christian Church, 2223 Shawnee Road, Lima.