Thank you to all of you who have gathered across the nation and around the globe, in the sweltering heat, to show your sincere desire to help bring civility to our nation and around the world.
In some areas, law enforcement officers have gathered with protesters and are standing in an effort to begin bridging the destructive gaps that have divided them from their communities for centuries.
As we all ponder the events over the past several months causing so much uncertainty, sadness, pain, anger, and yes, so much mistrust, we must submit ourselves in prayer today to commit those things that divide us back to the pits of darkness
I’m proud to be standing with all of you today because like so many others who are standing with you, I once wore the blue. Although it was many years ago, I still have a sense of achievement for having done so.
I’ve seen many unpleasant things happen in my time, but in every situation where people who chose to bind themselves together rather than divide themselves with sharp words with no regard to truth and/or righteousness, I’ve never seen a situation where right did not prevail.
We must vow together to pray that we will, from this moment forward, arm ourselves with what is right in the eyes of God. That we will embrace our differences, control and make proper use of our anger, and allow God’s truth to speak to our hearts. That we will endure the painful accusations as we give way to the outcomes of proper and transparent investigations. And that we will begin to reverse mass distrust among ourselves as we pray for restoration.
Just as we must be protected against crime and criminals, we must protect ourselves against the trickery of sin and Satan.
We must stand forever strong, but peacefully in protest against unrighteousness to honor our creator and those who fought, bled, and died to guarantee our right to iron out our differences in a peaceful manner.
Let us continue to pray that the banner of righteousness will be carried forth by every individual in this country and around the world. Let us pray that the mere presence of any corruption, deception, or deceit that tries to hinder any efforts of peace be stopped by the power of almighty God.
There is a need in this nation and around the globe for much communication and conversation about peace, understanding, better race relations, and the value of every individual.
Every law enforcement officer and court system in this nation must understand and accept the fact that profiling is wrong in any form and that it is right for our criminal justice system to be fair at all times for all people. Every encounter from detainment, to arrest, to drafting a warrant, to serving the warrant, to trial, to sentencing, all the way to the expiration of serving a sentence, the process must be consistently fair and with a measurable sense of service and respect to the public.
It is also right that parents teach their children that a police officer is not the enemy and provide a platform within the community for them to get to know the officers assigned to their neighborhoods to prove it. Parents must also teach their children that exercising restraint in times of crisis is not only a sign of strength, but it is also right.
“When we understand each other we respect each other. When we fear each other we attack each other.”
People of color have overcome every unimaginable horror in our day, and we will overcome these times with the understanding that, “no man is without fault.“ That being said, we will continue to demand justice and fairness until proper change is in place by national law, and until there is a national unified enforcement process to guarantee fairness and equality throughout the entire justice system.
As the light of inspection is being turned on our flawed justice system, every law enforcement agency, every officer, every lawyer, every judge, and on every individual who holds public office, whether hired in or voted in, let us pray that they will grow to accept the fact that they are servants of all of God’s people. Just as we must carry on our lives as responsible citizens, we must also exemplify our lives as responsible Christians, AND we must demand the same of our children.
And so . . . in my closing, let us be careful not to fall victim to our emotions that gets so charged up by the noise in the moment that we start to believe that we speak for God himself without ever stopping to prayerfully ask Him for spiritual guidance in the situation.
I believe that this nation will heal in God’s timing and set a new standard for the world to follow. So as we pray for our nations to heal, we must pray for all the victims of adverse circumstances, whether it be for friend or foe.
We must continue to cry loud that God places value on every life, He still has a good purpose for all of our lives, and He will not divert from his purpose, even in these challenging times.
And so, the classic slogan still reads “In God We Trust” and should be displayed and embedded in every nation, every state, in every county, in every city and town, every household, and most of all, in hearts of every individual.
2 Chronicles 7:14 is true . . . “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
We Will Heal !!!