Love. Pray. Learn.

We will not add to the outpouring of words of bewilderment, rage and sorrow expressed in recent days concerning the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police and the senseless assassination of Dallas police officers.

Much has been published and spoken that is healing and helpful. Too much has been said that is hurtful and solipsistic.

The wisest voices are calling for three principal actions from those of us willing to deal with the challenges: Love, pray, and learn. First: love.

Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:9-13)

Each soul must determine what acting out Jesus’ command to love one another looks like in his or her own life. That leads to the second principal action: Pray.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:18).

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27).

The third principal action that wise people are calling for is to learn. Make time to hear and understand what others are saying. In practical terms, this might include reading up on the point of view of people who are different from you. It might also mean physically spending time with them to get to know them, build a relationship, and develop the understanding of how they think and feel.

Friends, our Library ministry began to lay some groundwork for hearing and understanding when we linked with the Connections bookstore at Concord Church a year ago. Our Ladies Book Brunch, which has expanded to become Faithfully Yours, was formed specifically to bring women of many colors together to find common ground that leads to friendships. We are proud of all that our participants have accomplished. And we think that now more than ever, our bridge-building is the right thing to do.

Our next Ladies Book Brunch  will be on Saturday, August 20, here at PCBC. We selected four books that deal specifically with racial issues.

             More Than Equals, by Spencer Perkins and Chris Rice

            To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

             Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson

            Red Letter Revolution, by Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo

Our women are choosing one book to read in advance so we can come together in small groups and discuss them. We pray that our hearts will be tender as we listen to one another with open minds and with God’s grace.

If you are searching for a way to put rise to the challenges of love, pray, and learn, Ladies Book Brunch may be the perfect first step.