Listening and Learning
There is so much that we have learned as a people over the last year, since George Floyd was killed. There have been so many really important conversations.
Personally, I have listened and learned more from my black friends, hearing their stories and personal experiences, than I had ever before, even though in many cases we’d been friends for a long time. For me this cut through anything political, as I was simply listening and learning to real people, that I knew and loved.
In June, I walked side by side with them in marches in Groton, New London, and Waterford. While I heard and saw things that were disturbing, and broke my heart for the lostness of our culture, and the permeation of hatred across all of society, I also heard and saw things that sent my heart soaring, and moved me to hope, and even worship. It was evident that God was, and is, at work even in the hardest and most confusing of circumstances.
There were moments like —
When a young African-American woman in New London led a diverse group of one hundred or so people, gathered at the Whaler Memorial, myself included, to get on our knees in a choice of willing submission to Jesus, as she prayed for both healing and forgiveness on our behalf.
Or my friend, Luther Wade’s son, Luther Wade III, who opened the ceremony at the Waterford Town Hall, by having a peer begin by singing a moving rendition of Amazing Grace.
Not to mention the hugs, tears, and prayers for our country, our towns, and one another, that were abundant in all three communities in which I was a part, again, listening and learning.
When it comes to the Church, and our partnership in the Gospel, the Body of Christ- black, brown, and white in SECT- spent more time than ever together. We’ve met and prayed together more over this past year, than prior to May 25th of last year, and we’ve just been in each other’s lives more.
We’ve continued to remind one another that the Church is in a privileged position of displaying to the world what the unity in diversity that they are desperately trying to figure out, can look like in a completely unique, and other-worldy way. A unity that is rooted in our mutual submission to the Lordship of Jesus, and the commonality we have in His shed blood for our forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing the words of Peter’s exhortation to the early Christians, lived out in living color in the Christian community in Southeastern CT.
Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth, so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other, from a pure heart love one another constantly, because you have been born again— 1 Peter 1:22
This Scripture has become a theme verse of sorts for me over this season. It speaks of a brotherly, familial affection, due to our response to what Jesus has done for us, (“obedience to the truth”- see verses 18–19).
But Peter goes further and exhorts us to “love one another constantly”, invoking a different word for love that means a love that gives of self, at the cost of self, for the sake of the other — and he seals the deal of this meaning with the words — “because you have been born again”, rooting his exhortation in what Jesus has done for us, all of us, at the Cross.
It is hard to even articulate how vividly I’ve seen this Scripture lived out, but I’ve been left humbled, grateful, and hopeful. While things are not perfect in our country or our state, I truly believe that here in our little corner of CT, we are in a special and really blessed space, with deep and genuine friendship, partnership, and burden for our world. This puts us in a position of being able to really make a difference, to lead, begining with listening and learning, but continuing with praying and partnering.
So today is worth reflection — that we might be sober minded, even grateful for what we’ve learned — and that we might continue seeking God, listening and learning into the future as well.
