When Your Heart Is Broken By Tragedies Around Us & You Have No Words

My heart is broken today.

I so badly want to go comfort everyone effected by all the violence that has happened recently.

I want to reach out and hug the family and friends of the black men that were killed and tell them that their lives do matter. I want to say that I don't see darker skin when I look at them, but someone beautifully created in the image of God, beloved to His heart.

I want to hug the families of police officers that have been shot. I want to tell them that their lives matter. I want to say that I see beyond the stereotyped uniform & badge and see a person wonderfully created in the image of God, dear to His heart.

When we start seeing each other as statistics, as stereotypes, then it seems we lose the ability to love.

The color of someone's skin is not their identity, and neither is their job.
Our true identity is that we are all the workmanship of Jesus, lovingly crafted in His image, for His glory.

How I pray that we will all start seeing each other in that way and become "broken together" and united in Love, until we no longer see color, but Jesus.

It starts with us, who take on the name of Christ Followers.

I don't have any words of wisdom for everyone effected by tragedies fueled by hate, fear & ignorance. I am not wise enough to come up with answers or suggest a course of action.

But I know Someone Who is, and today, I'm just going to share His words, and pray that we may all learn to live by them and teach our children to live by them. <3 For real.

"Therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection." {Colossians 3:12-14}

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." {John 3:16-17}

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." {1 John 4:7-11}

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up. Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." {1 Corinthians 13:4-7}

"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love." {1 Corinthians 16:13-14}

 "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins." {1 Peter 4:8}

"And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this...if someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother who he has seen, how can he love God who he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also." {1 John 4:16-17 &20-21}

 
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” {1 John 13:34-35}

"Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." {Romans 13:8-10}

"The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." }Proverbs 10:11-12}

"These things have I spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Great love has no man than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." {John 15:11-13}

"And now abides faith, hope, love: these three, but the greatest of these is Love." {1 Corinthians 13:13}

Our light is called Love and it is time to let it shine!

p.s. I have been reading "Under Our Skin" by NFL player Benjamin Watson. If you want to get a Christ-centered view on how we should approach the issues of race from a wise man, I highly recommend getting yourself a copy!

If you liked this post, you might like these as well:

What Has Happened To Love?

She Didn't Know She Was A Slave {A Story of Redemption}

When You Feel Like A Failure & Want to Run Away

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