| Mosaic, Perhaps like you, in the middle of worrying about my pipes freezing, I’ve been watching the difficult and tragic situation in Minneapolis unfold over the last week. In case you haven’t been following it, thousands of federal immigration agents have moved into Minneapolis, Minnesota to conduct deportation raids. Tensions are inflamed, and now two U.S. citizens who were protesting have been shot and killed by ICE. The circumstances surrounding the second one, an ICU nurse named Alex Pretti, seem especially hard to comprehend. To make matters worse, our federal government’s statements regarding what happened, and about Alex Pretti’s behavior, appear to be demonstrably false. Their statements appear to be clearly at odds with videos taken at the scene, which is deeply troubling. To be sure, we live in challenging times, immigration is a hot button issue, and so to even speak about it at all is a risk. It risks the potential fracturing of relationships, along with the appearance of political bias. I wish this weren’t the case. I wish you could see and feel how deeply I care about how this issue affects you, and how little I conflate any political party with the Kingdom of God and the Gospel of Jesus. At Mosaic, with our God-given diversity, this means that there will be a diversity of perspectives on immigration, all influenced by our families of origin, our understanding of Scripture, our wiring, our personal stories, and even friend groups. What I ask, along with our elder team, is not that we all agree on how the issue should be handled by the federal government; what we do ask is that we remain respectful, humble, and peaceful in our conversations. Asking someone to explain what they believe and why is a great place to begin any potentially challenging conversation. With that in mind, allow me to respectfully name what I believe to be a few truths about the moment in which we live: 1.) The loss of any life is tragic and regrettable, whether it is an immigrant’s life, a law officer’s life, or now, another protestor’s life…all lives are valuable and irreplaceable. 2.) Governments have a responsibility to be careful with their words, to tell the truth, and to protect their citizens’ rights and lives. In the United States, that means protecting citizens’ right to free speech, to protest, to bear arms, and to practice their faith without interference, among others. Where our government and its agencies do not do this, they should be held accountable. 3.) Law enforcement should seek to carry out its difficult job without provoking or agitating citizens. 4.) And, law enforcement should be able to carry out its necessary job without fear of violence or attack. 5.) In a democratic society, engaging with issues that matter to us is important. I think Jesus might call this being “salt and light.” All these statements seem obvious, and yet, in moments of high anxiety, what is clear can become obscured and forgotten. Along with what I named here, allow me to highly recommend you refresh yourself on a statement made by Mosaic last year, with respect to our view on immigration and what our response would be if ICE came to our facility. Please click and read that here, as a way of adding more context to what has been shared. Point number 4 in that email is especially salient. So… Tonight, I pray for our country. I pray for a move of God’s spirit. I pray that we would lift up our eyes, and cry out to God for him to heal us. Tonight, I pray for you. I pray your heart would be steadfast. We often sing and say that God is in control, somehow. Tonight would be a good time to believe it as well as sing it. Tonight, I pray for all those who are fearful and anxious right now, that they would call on the name of the defender of the defenseless, and the hope of the hopeless. Tonight, I lament the division we see, the smearing of character, the impugning of motives, and the violence done of any kind, on any “side.” Truly, humanity needs a savior. Finally, I remain hopeful, not only because of our God, but because of you. And us. Along with John Loyd and Gaylen Washington, Morgan Stephens |
