Thoughts on Charlotte

    As the events in Charlotte unfold many of us find ourselves reeling, trying to make sense of the conflict.  As a nation how have we come to be in such a place of tension and anxiety?  Certainly people on either side of this political fence are quite firmly fixed on their point of view, and maybe that is the problem.  Too few of us seem to see the need to meet crisis with listening ears or patient hearts. Equally frightening, and perhaps even more destructive, there seems to be great choruses of voices waiting in the wings to shout down anyone who proffers an opinion that calls for calm deliberation or balanced perspectives.  It is as though anything less than polarized polemic is unacceptable. 
    You cannot sew seeds of violence and grow a crop of peace. So, today I pray for peace in our nation, that we may find a way around the current impasse of ideologies, rhetoric, and thoughtless posturing and instead engage in the peaceful acts of reflection and dialog. Reason moderated by love is our only hope of overcoming our human shortcomings. As long as we are bound, enslaved to our presumptions, we will continue to find it impossible to move forward together. The prophet Hosea says, "bloodshed follows bloodshed" and I pray that we find a way as a people to put an end to the unnecessary cycle of violence that drives the conflict in our inner cities.
    May the "peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:7