Special Prayer Gathering for Peace and Racial Reconciliation

Last weekend’s events in Charlottesville, Virginia, were horrifying. White supremacists marching with torches, Nazi flags paraded down the street, violent outbursts that claimed the life of one woman and injured dozens more. It can only be described as a satanic display of racism and hatred, an offense against God and an assault on people made in his image.

But those events are also indicative of a larger and much deeper problem in American society—one that is not buried in our nation’s history of slavery, segregation, and racial discrimination (as some might like to think), but has continued to poison relationships and systems for decades, and is now finding fresh energy in the alt-right white nationalist movement. Many are aware that an alt-right rally is scheduled in Boston this weekend.

Our Savior weeps over this. And we should too. There is no supreme race; only a Supreme Savior. Racism is an abomination in God’s eyes and antithetical to his gospel. Rather, his plan is for men and women “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” to stand before the throne and before the Lamb (Rev. 7:9). And only the cross of Christ is powerful enough to bring that kind of reconciliation in a fallen world. Speaking of the covenantal and racial divide between Jew and Gentile (and thus encompassing all ethnicities), the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Eph. 2:13-18)

In times of racial tension and evil, we must rally around the only thing powerful enough to bring healing: the cross of Jesus Christ.

For all these reasons, we’re moving our monthly Pray for the Mission meeting up a week to call a special prayer gathering for peace and racial reconciliation. We’ll gather at Westgate Church this Sunday night, August 20, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Our time will be guided with readings and reflections and marked with prayers of lament, repentance, and intercession. We will pray for peace and repentance. We will pray for protection, not only for those involved in rallies in Charlottesville or Boston, but for all who feel cheapened and marginalized by racism. Most of all, we will pray that Christ would show his beauty, power, and peace through this trial by bringing about the gospel renewal and reconciliation he purchased for all nations with his own blood.

Please join us and pray.

Pastor Brandon