Dear Caldwell,
In the closing lines of Genesis, Joseph extends extraordinary grace to his brothers, who had tried unsuccessfully to kill the little brother they considered a pest and show-off. Rather than exacting vengeance, Joseph forgave them and pledged to take care of them and their families.
He said to his brothers, “Even though you intended it for harm, God intended it for good.”
The same might be said of Christ’s crucifixion. The harm men intended by it only gave birth to the church, the body of Christ everlasting. Yesterday, you showed Joseph-like, Christ-like grace and composure. What our picketing visitors intended for harm, God turned into good in what ended up being a remarkably moving and memorable day of worship and community. We came away with a deeper faith and a stronger bond. I especially want to thank our ushers, including Bo Jordan, Sheena Bossie, Sands Harne and Tom Bohr, for handling the situation with discipline and discretion.
As with the hard-hearted Saul, before his conversion, our unwelcome visitors have yet to truly see God’s grace and love for all God’s children. Their eyes were open yet I doubt they saw the love that you all extended to each other. Nor did they take us up on our invitation to join us for worship, so they might experience your joy and love for each other, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps, as with Saul, the scales will fall from their eyes, perhaps not, until they see God face to face.
Many of us woke up yesterday keenly aware of the jury’s decision in the Martin case in Florida and how it might deepen the racial divide in America. While I do not want our adventure yesterday to overshadow the pain and anguish that ruling is stirring in so many, I am reminded of the statement (attributed to several historical figures, including Dr. King) that “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” Our experience at Caldwell yesterday shows the desperation of those who realize the arc of the moral universe is bending away from them and their views. As several of you said, let us pray for them.
A quick scheduling note: Historian Tom Hanchett is the special guest of the book club tonight at 6:30. It’s a covered dish. Come and enjoy fellowship and learn a few lessons from the past about how we can build a more integrated city that, on day, might get beyond hate.
In Christ,
John