Dear Friends, What a world we live in. Covid-19, stay-at-home orders, anxiety spiking in the lives of many of us, and then the cruel, unnecessary deaths of even more of our beloved brothers and sisters in the black community. In all of this, we are called to be the church. He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 3:16 What does it mean to be the church today? For 6 years we have worked to build an inclusive and just church that is welcoming to all people. Everyday our church tries to be the hands, the heart and feet of Christ in our community. And we do our best to forge relationships with black and white, rich and poor, gay and straight people. We are seeing the horrific consequences of systemic racism, displayed in living color in repeated police misconduct against black people. The current protests are a loud call for immediate comprehensive action. Now is the time for each of to do what we can.
I applaud Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin for his leadership on the front lines listening to the community, bringing people together and championing significant change to address systemic racism in the police department and beyond. His recommendations provide a road-map to guide us forward. I encourage you to read Council President Hardin’s recent statement published in The Columbus Dispatch here. Let's do whatever we can to support these positive steps forward. Friends, I believe there is not better time to be the church: welcoming all who want to experience Jesus' radical love through spiritual nourishment, the Food Pantry, and the Charitable Pharmacy. We will continue to reach out and welcome all people to our inclusive church by loving people like Jesus loves them. In Christ, Jim