We believe in ONE body

'And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. while our presentable parts need no special treatment. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. '

1 Corinthians 12:14-26 NIV

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As a response, our team got together and talked about the issues that we are currently facing in our country. It all made us emotional and starting the conversation is the first step in solving this issue. To celebrate Juneteenth, we wanted to stop and reflect what the ongoing cry for equality means to us:

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Black lives matter.

Honestly this has been a very difficult subject to talk about. I don’t know even where to begin. The way the world is hurting is undeniably upsetting. I would like to address the Racism, injustice, the police brutality that has been going on is something that I do not believe in. As a community we need to speak up, we need to do more than post or share. We should be the voices for those who don’t have a voice to do so. My boyfriend deals with it every single day of his life. At work, going to the corner store, walking around his neighborhood. He shared with me that his niece cried for the fact that she could die because of her skin color. It isn’t fair that because of their skin color, people see it as a threat, or as a weapon. You would think that the skin that holds your heart, your organs, your blood, your brain, wouldn’t be used against you. Children shouldn’t have to worry about if their father or mother will be coming home or not. The frustration and the emotion we all are feeling, the black community has been feeling for centuries. We need to come together as one as a community to fight for justice, for all the voices that were taken away. It isn’t black against white, it’s right against wrong. We all know the Golden Rule we grew up hearing and learning, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Simple right? But why do we make it difficult? To go in depth, The Golden Rule is a moral obligation to treat others ethically for their sake, not ours, even if it’s better than the way they treat us, Why you ask, it’s not because it’s a advantageous, but because IT'S RIGHT and because the way we treat others is about who we are and what we believe in not about who they are on the outside.” We learn to be uncomfortable, to experience things, to hurt so we can understand and have growth. The events that are happening right now IS uncomfortable. But it shouldn’t be that way, we need to work towards different ways to be better as a community, to not be afraid to speak the truth. To fight for those who aren't able to fight for their human rights. I want us to be able to come all together and unite and disregard skin color. Because at the end of the day we are all humans. We all bleed the same. We all live to reach our dreams and our goals. There should be no reason why the black community should have any less of it. WE NEED TO BE LOUD that We are one race. And that is The human race. Nothing more nothing less. We are all equal, and We hear your pain & we will stand with you ALWAYS.

- Christine

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The past couple days has been emotionally overwhelming; being amidst a pandemic and the injustice that happened with George Floyd. Right now, I am truly disheartened and pained with what is surrounding us at this moment. It created a whole whirlwind of emotions in reaction to the pervasive racial discrimination and brutality that has been forever happening. Racial disadvantage has been so embedded in institutions of organizations rather than the conscious intentions of individuals. Rather than differentially treating someone based on their race or ethnicity, we should embrace and recognize values of racio-ethnic differences (aka multiculturalism). I don’t think changes will happen if people keep pretending to not see “color,” or ignoring the existence of white privilege, or the unawareness of entitlement. Support your fellow brothers and sisters, especially whose voices have been oppressed. It is difficult to condense the oppression, discrimination, and prejudiced behavior that our black brothers and sisters have faced, but I just want to say: We hear your pain and we support you.

Let’s all set our eyes to restoration rather than deterioration (Isaiah 1:17)

- Raisa

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Moving Forward Together.

Racism in America has never been an easy subject to talk about. But we are in a time where it NEEDS to be talked about. What happened to George Floyd was tragic, but it speaks to what has been happening in this country since the infancy of this nation. When slave traders brought over African people as slaves to America to be sold off like POSSESSIONS to the settlers here, what began was a notion, became a belief that black slaves were disposable as the crop they helped grow. Though we have come a long way since then, the Racism, particularly against black men and women, still exists to this day. Today, the reality of black families is utterly heartbreaking. This needs to change NOW. Black men, women, and children should not have to live an a world where their lives and opportunity is limited due to the color of their skin. Nor, should they be treated no less than anyone else on this planet. They should have not have to live a life where they have to fear the very people sworn to protect it. We have the power to change this country and it starts with each of us individually. We need to start the conversation in our homes and push the conversation into our communities. We need to demand reform in each of our cities to change how the police interact with people. Encourage our local communities to institute ways to educate people about racism and facilitate talks between law enforcement, the civilians, and law makers. We must start the conversation and we need to see it through to the end. Let us change history and let us change it TOGETHER.

- Ralph

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BLM

Hi everyone. I understand that we’re going through so much right now in life: with the pandemic, the social and racial injustice, the tensions rising with everything and what lies ahead in the future.

It’s very challenging to talk about something like this but I’ll do my best to share my thoughts as I’ve been educating myself (and still learning) about the injustice and racism that has been going on for so many years.

Moving forward, I believe we are called to be a light in the darkness, especially at these times.

Do we like what we see? No. Do we want something done about it? Yes.

Through these times, I want to display the sense of comfort God displays, to show the same love Christ showed to others. An example would be the parable of the lost sheep. (Matthew 18:13-14 / Luke 15:3-7).

A shepherd who tended 100 sheep had lost one. Does he carry on leaving the one behind? No, he would go out in search of that one sheep because he cares knowing he doesn’t need to worry about the 99. When the lost is found, he rejoices.

Like the lost sheep, we should show our love and support to the community that’s been hurting for so long and cries for change. The time to stand is now.

- Matt