Inauguration

Last updated on: January 20, 2017 at 10:03 am by Adrian Crawford

Inauguration 2017-01-20T10:03:00-04:00 Adrian Crawford

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Inauguration

Today, we turn our eyes to the White House as America inaugurates her 45th president. Regardless of where you stand, this is a historic day. Where I stand is kind of where I have always stood in the middle of a divided culture. I write this with both a heavy heart and great hope.

As we focus our attention on Washington, D.C., I find myself drawn to a letter Paul once wrote to young Timothy: “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” (1 Timothy 1-2)

I don’t think Paul was writing this to Timothy alone. I believe that when an all-knowing, all-loving God inspired his words, He knew that today, His people would need to hear this. We need to be reminded right now to pray for all people and that our lives should be marked with a heavenly peace. We have wasted enough time watching politicians hurl polished profanities across the stage. Now, it is time for us to do what we are called to do – follow Jesus across the divide.

Do you realize that, as a country, we have just had our first black president? Growing up, I thought it would be impossible to see this as a reality in my lifetime. There were many who did not celebrate this, however some because of his race, others because of his policies and direction. Today, the political pendulum seems to be swinging high to the opposite side. While I am wildly thankful for the Obama family and so much of what they stood for, I did not agree with many of their policies. Although I do not agree with a lot of the Trump administration, that does not relieve me of my duty to pray for him and for God to grant him wisdom and strength. Politics may seem to be pushing the divide wider and wider, but it is our job to build bridges and to bring reconciliation.

Before we go any further, if you are reading this and are thinking to yourself that this message is for someone who believes the opposite of you, you are mistaken… this is for both sides. This isn’t for them over there who believe those things. This is for the collective body of Christians.

So how do we begin?

First, we must lead with the gospel. This means always having hope. At the end of the day, we have nothing if we do not have our Great Hope, who is Jesus. His word, not a political party, is what unites us and leads us as followers of God. If we proclaim that the gospel is the truth, then we must regard it as such.

Now, if we really want to love well, we must learn to lead with relentless empathy. For some of us, this means picking up the burdens of someone who does not look like us, even if we don’t understand them. For others, this looks like being patient with offenses and loving people who may not understand you, who may not even want to. The link here is understanding. Take a step back from what your emotions are doing and pause to listen to the other side.

White pastors: some of the people of color in your congregation may be feeling hopeless. They might be weary about trusting Donald Trump in light of his remarks toward minority communities. It is your job to remind them that there is still hope. Remind them that their hope is in Christ. Tell them the stories of when Israel wanted a king and God gave them Saul. Tell them how God warned the people about the burdens of having an earthly, political king. And, like Paul, urge them to pray for all those in authority, no matter how much it may hurt.

Black pastors: some of the people in your congregation may not understand why it might pain minorities to have a man who has said the things he has sitting in office. You must remind them to share in the burdens of one another, that what hurts their brother also hurts them. Show them that the killing of children in Chicago is not a black issue, it is a gospel issue; that low income neighborhoods without hope for the future is not a black issue, it is a gospel issue; that the rise of fatherlessness is not a black issue, it is a gospel issue. Teach them to seek understanding and reach across the aisle.

But above all, remember: the Kingdom is always advancing.

I write this as I stand in the middle, pulled between two cultures, but my feet are firmly planted because my allegiance is solely to Jesus. I am a black man in America with very real and painful family roots that threaten to bring me straight to the hatred of those who enslaved my not-so-distant relatives; I say this to tell you that it isn’t easy. I pastor a predominantly white church, and I love my church. No matter what, I will continually charge them to look to Jesus, even past their own personal pain and discomfort.

I write this to Jesus followers, pastors and leaders: please have grace and empathy for those in your congregations and communities.

Jesus is our king. Those who are excited: take this moment to grow closer to Jesus in sharing the burdens of those who are mourning. Take this moment to have grace and grow closer to Jesus.

Today is an important day in history, but for me at its core I am not called to anything different than I am on any other day. I choose today to be a Jesus follower.

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