Coweta’s Response
Written by FRANCES KIDD • Photographs Courtesy of THE NEWNAN TIMES-HERALD
#NEWNANSTRONG was the message in April 2018.
Conversations about race relations have always been complex. Because it is so complicated, it is often difficult for people to talk about, even more than 50 years after Jim Crow laws ended.
Coweta County’s history is not that different from other areas in the South. Built on cotton, agriculture and railroads, all of which involved slavery, historically white and black communities remained mostly segregated into the mid- to late-1960s.
However, in the last few years, communities here have come together in ways many long-time residents might not have expected even as recently as 20 years ago.
Part of the evolution in attitudes can be attributed to growth and a change in demographics. From 2000 to 2019, Coweta’s population grew 66%. Population growth along with an increase in cultural diversity signals change in a community, and that’s been evident in Newnan and Coweta in recent years.
In March 2018, two local churches got together for a Oneness March with racial reconciliation the topic of the day. The Rev. Chris Carlyle of Purified Living Ministries and the Rev. Jimmy Patterson of First Baptist Church in Newnan became friends through their involvement with the Newnan Kiwanis Club. The two pastors led the walk from a hot dog lunch in Willie Lynch Park to Carlyle’s church and then on to First Baptist. And they weren’t shy about it: The walk was accompanied by The University of Mobile’s RamCorps’ 35-member brass and percussion ensemble.
A month later, the National Socialist Movement held a rally in Newnan on April 21 in Greenville Street Park. At first, some were upset that a permit had been granted to the group; the deadly rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 was still on their minds.
But Newnan got busy. Many businesses around the court square decided to close the day of the rally out of concern over potential damage. Upon hearing this, local businessmen Nathan Brain and Derek Riede proposed a plan for businesses to stay open late the Friday before the rally in order to make up for business they might lose the next day – and to show the community’s tight bonds, regardless of race or cultural background. They called the effort “NewnanStrong.”
FROM TOP : Children cover the sidewalks at Greenville Street park with chalk drawings before the National Socialist Movement rally in April 2018; Newnan residents hold signs promoting harmony on the day of the rally; Mary Beth Meehan poses in 2019 with one of her “Seeing Newnan” outdoor portraits; Chris Buckley, left, and Heval Mohamed Kelli discuss reconciliation in spring of 2019.
That Friday evening, the court square was filled with individuals and families strolling, shopping and dining. Children and their parents covered the sidewalks with chalk paintings of rainbows and messages of peace.
“One of the things I took from that Friday night,” says Brain, “was that, ultimately, so much unity and community came together that it could make me forget what was happening the next day.”
As it turned out, the Saturday rally drew more anti-protesters than protestors. Although groups from outside Georgia – including a small group of Antifa members – were in Newnan that day, the biggest response was from local residents. Hundreds showed up carrying signs proclaiming “No Hate in My City” and similar phrases. They gathered for a peaceful response across the street from the park. About 700 local law enforcement officiers from neighboring counties were on hand to help keep the peace. On the same day, there was a full house at St. Smyrna Baptist Church for an Interfaith Service designed to promote love.
The idea of unity didn’t stop that day; in fact, it was just the opposite. Newnan City Councilwoman Cynthia Jenkins and Coweta District Attorney Herb Cranford started talking about how to capture the sense of unity evident that day. Cranford wanted to develop a program in Coweta County based on a successful pastor’s lunch series in Carrollton. Their motivation was to focus on continuing to build connections rather than risk people becoming disengaged when the memory of that Saturday in April began to fade.
A few months later, Coweta’s first Pastors and Leaders Lunch took place. Initially, the lunches were held the first Monday of every month at different locations, but the program eventually found a permanent home at Bridging the Gap on First Avenue. The lunch is provided by a different church each month and the event gives attendees an opportunity for food and conversation. Since COVID-19, the meetings have been virtual, but the schedule – and the enthusiasm – hasn’t changed.
Conversations about race and action toward good relations continued into 2019. In March, members of Newnan Presbyterian Church hosted an event featuring Heval Mohamed Kelli, a Syrian refugee, and Chris Buckley, a former U.S. soldier and white supremacist. Unlikely friends, the men give talks across the country, sharing their story of overcoming different backgrounds to understand and appreciate one another. The event was another opportunity for residents to learn about reconciliation.
It was practically impossible to miss the next big event, the installation of “Seeing Newnan,” New Englander Mary Beth Meehan’s oversized portraits that were installed in spring of 2019. Meehan became familiar with Newnan after spending time here as an artist in residence through the local ArtRez program. An independent photographer who specializes in large-scale public installations, she hoped her exhibit would spotlight citizens who otherwise might not be “seen.” The larger-than-life portraits were hung on exterior walls throughout downtown Newnan and depicted a broad array of people of varying race, age, culture and gender.
An interesting reflection on Coweta, the exhibit caused many to ponder their beliefs and preconceptions of others, as evidenced in a massive social media response to the portraits. People who might never have gotten to know others in the community started talking to each other, sometimes with difficult conversations.
The portraits were used in college classes at the University of West Georgia, and they inspired a group of women, racially mixed from ages 20 to 82, to gather once a month for a potluck lunch. The women who started the group met during a discussion about pimento cheese, so they named the group The Pimento Cheese Sandwich Society.
“Sitting around a table sharing good food can help get a conversation going,” says Helen Berry, the subject of one of Meehan’s photos and co-founder of the group. “As we ate our first sandwich together in early June of 2019, we started talking – and haven’t stopped yet.”
By the summer of 2020, the world had changed. The coronavirus was becoming a pandemic, and large and small gatherings were being restricted. In the middle of this, the country witnessed the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minnesota. His dying words broke hearts all over the country when he called for his mother.
Like many communities across the country, Newnan responded, holding peaceful Black Lives Matter gatherings around the square where people could talk about their own experiences with racism while working together to change old beliefs, actions – and outcomes.
In July, Derrick Teagle’s Empowered 4 Life nonprofit organization held its first Connecting the Dots seminar, a program for teenagers with focus on improving race relations between the community and local law enforcement.
Just as similar organizations worked to continue their missions despite upsets brought by the pandemic, the Newnan Cultural Arts Commission produced their first virtual event with the 2020 Friends of Wadsworth concert. Later in the year, as Commission members watched the nation focus on issues of racism and violence, they felt it important for the Arts to speak out as well by showcasing the work of black artists.
Their idea came to life in September with a virtual performance called HOPE: Healing, Openness, Passion, Empathy. The program included spirituals performed by renowned soprano Indra Jones and showing a video, “Everyday,” produced by Paulo Manso de Souza, artistic director of Newnan’s Southern Arc Dance Company. A short video on “Seeing Newnan” was shown, along with “Power of Place,” a documentary film by local filmmaker Jonathan Hickman, which tells the story of Howard Warner School, originally Coweta County’s black high school and now home to a Boys & Girls Club.
“The arts can shine light on the darkness,” says Phyllis Graham, member of the Cultural Arts Commission. “And that’s our intention with the HOPE program.” The compelling September program is available for viewing on the Cultural Arts Commission’s Facebook page.
Ongoing conversations are one part of this process, but action is also important. Last July, the City of Newnan announced plans for a series of community forums on diversity, equity and inclusion with intentions of moving forward the important conversations and events of the last few years.
“It is an unprecedented move to have all these government organizations working together to address these issues,” says Jenkins. “And it is a very good thing for the community.”
Newnan-Coweta Magazine asked a few locals to share their thoughts on race relations in Coweta County. Here are their essays.
Written by
BETH CALLAWAY
Beth Callaway is mom to a 23-year-old daughter with special needs and a 26-year-old daughter who attends law school at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
We recently closed an unusual and emotionally charged year. Last year, amidst a pandemic, was riddled with everything from natural disasters to controversial cultural clashes, all wrapped in the tension of a presidential election year. What did we learn from the events of 2020?
For the sake of this essay’s topic: that racial tension is still very high and easily ignitable.
Why? How do we correct it?
Sadly, it doesn’t take much accelerant to ignite hatred. And, yes, here in the Deep South racial intolerance and racial ignorance can still be found. It is a slow process to continue to push racism back. By not giving it attention through acceptance, we keep it from gaining traction and bleeding back into local communities.
I was born and raised in Carrollton. During my lifetime, over the course of 50 years, progress has been made, albeit painfully slow, from segregation at the onset of my lifetime to now.
I have seen how our sleepy, small towns have grown and become part of Atlanta’s urban sprawl. Embracing and incorporating our history, I think, keeps the character and charm of small towns and their comfortable feel. With no collective history there is no backstory, no cast of colorful characters, just merely a pop-up town that feels sterile and lacking in personality.
The uniqueness that is built through the years, our history, is what makes us and our small towns more attractive, engaging and personable. With that character building, history comes – history, which always repeats itself. So here we are facing the familiar repeating history. It’s been discussed. It’s been protested. It’s been rioted. It’s had T-shirts made. It’s had millions of dollars thrown at it. It’s had walks, marches, sit-ins and shutdowns. All of it, yet here we are.
The next step is individual racism manifesting into systemic racism, which is basically societal systems: economic, educational, health care, judicial and more founded on racism. This term ranges from the president of the NAACP’s definition as “systems and structures that have procedures or processes that disadvantage African Americans” to Merriam-Webster’s definition: “a doctrine or political program based on the assumption of racism and designed to execute its principles.”
To my way of thinking, it would also be nearly impossible to separate racial discrimination from its fuel: a politically driven agenda. All racism seems more apparent in larger cities where social stratification is more diverse and demographically concentrated. I do understand how the herd mentality can override mindsets and take control of individuals’ freethinking.
Is it wrong? Yes. Do I agree? No.
History, even just yesterday, contains struggle, pain, suffering, sacrifice and consequences. Let us honor each trial, each tribulation, by bettering ourselves through understanding, empathy and compassion. We can respectfully honor our history and through it, teach our future generations acceptance and tolerance. We have to preserve our history, with its reminders, so that we can continue to move forward and not backward. We should stand proudly on the shoulders of our ancestors.
At our country’s onset were a group of varied rebels seeking freedom from oppression. At our crux, our commonality is, in fact, our differences. Do you see the irony? We, the United States of America, were and are a melting pot. Our uniting factor – our differences – is what pulls yet sometimes drives us apart. Across the board, we are not just a skin color, a religious belief, a sexual orientation, a cultural variation, a political affiliation, a mental or physical ability, an elder or infirmed. Let’s be united by our differences, not divided by them. We are all human. Period.
This is an “us” problem. In my heart of hearts, I believe we are each accountable and responsible for our families, our communities, and ultimately ourselves. The responsibility is ours – acceptance of each other, tolerance within our community, taking a collective stand against forces that come to divide us.
We have heard it a million times: Change starts with you. That’s each and every one of us – each beautifully unique individual.
Make the Change. Be the Change.
Written by
DERRICK TEAGLE
Derrick Teagle is director of Empowered 4 Life, a nonprofit organization that focuses on mentoring youth.
I’m a local family man who has lived in Coweta County for more than 40 years. I am blessed to have raised three males in this diverse community. I am the director of Empowered 4 Life where we have mentored more than 500 students since 2007.
I would like to share my thoughts on race, racism, racists, racial tensions and systemic racism.
I love to see when so many races unite as it’s a glimpse of heaven. I love to see it in our downtown area, the local markets and sporting events. I dislike racism as I feel that’s what divides us as a city, a community and a nation. I truly believe that racist behaviors have been accepted on a national level, which has led to severe racial tensions in our nation.
I truly believe that systemic racism is real. The housing market, lack of job opportunities, low wages, mass incarcerations and number of deaths of African Americans are real. I think as a country we have been too silent and have swept this under the rug for way too long. I feel until we truly listen to everyone, this problem will still be a ticking time bomb.
I truly believe that racism or racial injustice resides in our community, but I honestly feel that it’s not the same as it is in other areas in our state or country. I think we have a good collection of leaders who are open-minded to listening as well as change.
A few years ago, I remember being a part of a city community forum. I was listening to Chief Buster Meadows talk about changing the culture of the Newnan Police Department. He stated that being involved with community groups as well as having a more diverse police department were among his goals. I can honestly say that he has achieved both of those goals.
I think our city’s response to race relations has been good, yet there is room for improvement. I love the fact that community groups, including Empowered 4 Life, have been protected to share their emotions on race. The city truly was all in on the Connecting The Dots seminars.
Connecting The Dots is a four-part seminar to educate all sides on race relations. The first seminar on July 11 at the Wadsworth Auditorium focused on a roundtable discussion on race. It allowed everyone in the audience to anonymously ask community leaders, coaches and teachers questions regarding race. This seminar truly stepped on some toes, but that was needed. The second seminar is scheduled for January 23. I hope to see you there.
I truly believe that our community is trending in the right direction in regards to race. I would love to see more community meetings on this topic, and I’m looking forward to assisting in the future growth of our Coweta County community.
Written by
DEBRA HARRIS
Debra Harris is founder of Kingdom Connected Ministries International and the Ignite the Fire Movement, both based in Newnan.
Let us have a conversation about a needed topic: race relations.
How do we define race relations? It is a relationship being built and cultivated among the many races of God’s people.
How can we cultivate and build relationships with other cultures of people? I will answer from a pastoral view, which will be from the lens of our heavenly father.
As we look at racial relationships from the eyes and heart of God-Elohim, we see a father loving his children, a father who desires that all be lovers one of another. The father is love. He shared his love with his children and desires that we love each other as he has loved us.
The best way to build, restore, renew any relationship is to operate through the love of God. As his children, we are to imitate his love for each other, regardless of ethnicity, race or religion. This kind of love can only be accomplished through the spirit of Christ. Unfortunately, we will always see systemic racism among all people groups if we do not look from the eyes of God.
God gave us a guidebook (called the Bible) for living, loving and unifying. If we choose to ignore the guidebook, we will operate from our carnal nature, which speaks of a rule from a different master. The guidebook was written by a loving father who sent his loving son who died for us and sent a loving spirit to keep us connected with love and to be loved. This is our only answer to solving a worldly problem – systemic racism, hate, anti-Christian and cultural indifference. Many attempts have been made and to no avail. We came back to the same place because we made plans without Christ. Our only hope is Jesus.
I believe examples are needed to show the true love of our heavenly father, such as the community and its people. Newnan has set examples to others how it should be across the nation. Newnan set standards when the white nationalist, antifa, and Nazis came to create chaos and confusion in 2018. We made national news on how we stood in the love of Christ, regardless of their agenda. If we want racial relationships to work across the board, we need to apply the same strategies, to stand together in love through the spirit of Christ. Newnan can be the example for other cities and counties.
During the summer months of this COVID-19 season, churches, ministries, the school system and individuals worked together to feed students who were in danger of not eating their regular planned school lunch. This type of coming together has always been welcoming and needed. These are the acts of kindness that help to build relationships and express the love of God.
I work with a group of wonderful men and women of God through Summit Ministries Newnan, which is a conglomerate of several churches and ministries connecting to serve, pray and express God’s love to different culture groups. Our goal has been about cultivating race relations from God’s perspective. We started in 2016 building, praying and cultivating relationships from the heart of God.
Bridging the Gap is another community ministry that acts as the hands and feet of Jesus, expressing his love and heart towards all mankind. Community volunteers meet, work together and love on the recipients in need of groceries and household items. So much love is being shared and expressed during these outreach activities, and this helps to promote unity and race relations.
One of my favorite acts of building and improving racial relationships was the installation of photos of many different cultures placed strategically around downtown Newnan to show acceptance and oneness in community. This was a bold move of race acceptance. I am grateful to be a part of a welcoming community where love is colorblind and responds through the eyes of Jesus.
I am not an original Newnanite; however, I’m currently a citizen in Newnan, Georgia, Coweta County, and I am honored to call it my home. I have been here for many years and observed how Newnan has grown and cultivated her love for people and the community. Local leaders have worked together to bring about change to build relationships among the cultures. I see businesses, churches and individuals working hard to cultivate relationships and be helpers one to the other. I thank God for his love being spread around.
Written by
HERB CRANFORD
Herb Cranford is district attorney of the Coweta Judicial Circuit, which serves Coweta, Carroll, Heard, Meriwether and Troup counties.
Addressing race relations in a word-limited column is a difficult task, and I know what I say here does not adequately address the depth and complexity of this topic. I have chosen to use my limited space to explain how we conduct business at the District Attorney’s Office to ensure that we are positively contributing to our community rather than causing racial injustice.
At the outset, I acknowledge I have not walked in the shoes of minority members of our community, and I understand that many have experienced racism. I write here as the district attorney of the Coweta Judicial Circuit, the local elected official most responsible for seeking justice for violations of the laws of the State of Georgia. What I discuss here is meant to help the public understand the character of our office.
It is the sacred duty of the District Attorney’s Office to enforce the law equally for all members of our community. Because some crimes are motivated by prejudice, which deserve an increased level of punishment in my view, I supported passage of Georgia’s new Hate Crimes Bill. To prevent disparities based on race in our cases, we review each case on its merits to determine what justice is for the specific case, regardless of any victim or defendant’s race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or wealth. We also abide by general guidelines meant to ensure that the resolutions we pursue for each case are consistent when considering the nature of the crime committed, the prior record of the accused, and the strength of the evidence we have to prove the crime.
In order to get as close as humanly possible to perfect justice, we make a conscientious effort to treat every victim and defendant as an individual with inherent dignity. We honor the constitutional rights of the accused and we only pursue cases where we believe we can prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt. To do otherwise, in my view, is to risk a wrongful conviction.
We have an open case file policy, which means we make available to the defendant the entire contents of our case file except for legally privileged material. We do this to ensure that the adversarial process works as intended to achieve a just and fair outcome – and to ensure transparency in the process.
In order to treat all parties as human beings and to make decisions based on the facts and the law, our office endeavors to receive all of the information relevant to the case and the parties involved. We meet with victims and their families to try to understand what they have experienced and what we can do to make them safe and whole. We communicate with law enforcement about their thoughts on how to resolve the case appropriately. We try to understand why the accused did what they did and to what extent they are a danger to do it again. I and all of the prosecutors in our office will take any meeting with any member of the public, including family and friends of the accused, who want to share their thoughts about how any particular case should be resolved.
In addition to all of these measures, which are meant to ensure that justice is done without regard to irrelevant factors such as race, our office emphasizes transparency with the public. Part of our mission is to maintain the trust of the people we serve. This means every member of our community.
Engaging with the public and being as transparent as possible are necessary to build trust in our criminal justice system, and public trust is necessary for the functioning of the criminal justice system. Victims must have such trust in order to call for help; witnesses must have such trust to be willing and unafraid to tell the truth; and defendants must have such trust to be able to take responsibility for their crimes and choose a different path in life.
From speaking with members of our community, I know that some have experienced racism in some form and are suspicious that the criminal justice system and its participants are prejudiced. To dispel the wrong beliefs some may have about the Coweta Circuit DA’s Office, I try to speak to the public as much as I can and any time I am invited to do so. I understand I must be proactive in helping the community understand my heart and motivations. If we continue to operate this way, I am confident that the public will increasingly trust that justice for all, not prejudice, motivates the District Attorney’s Office of the Coweta Judicial Circuit.
Written by
TODD SLADE
Todd Slade is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Moreland and the father of five children.
How are our local race relations? Wow, what a question.
It’s a question my wife, Jennifer, and I have dealt with for more than 10 years. As a white, conservative, Christian male in my 40s, I am the first to realize my words may come across to some as tone deaf. I get that. I am, as some would say, in the “privileged” class.
However, as a dad in a multiracial family, I would hope my words carry with them a sense of understanding, peace and calm to a subject full of hate and violence.
I would daresay there are few subjects that cause as much consternation as the subject of race. To be frank, I don’t get it. This is really not hard. When I think about race and all that goes with it, I think the answer is simple. It comes from something I was taught as a child but did not fully understand until we adopted our two oldest sons.
The answer to the question of race is found in a rule I was taught 40 years ago. Some would call it the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Put another way: Treat people the way you want to be treated.
I understand we tend to make the subject of race much more complicated. Throw in the idea of systemic racism, police brutality, income inequality, discussions about affirmative action, slavery and all the evils slavery entailed, and the conversation gets considerably complex. I get it. And I’m not nearly smart enough to attempt to unwind the complexities of that conversation.
What I do know is this: If we could all live by the Golden Rule, this conversation would vanish almost overnight.
A little more than 10 years ago, Jennifer and I were led to adopt a 6-month-old black infant who needed love and affection. Almost a year later, we were led to adopt a newborn Guatemalan child. Adopting our oldest two sons was not a difficult decision for Jennifer and me. Sure, we knew raising a black and a Hispanic child in a white home would have its challenges. We also knew we had what these little boys needed most. As simple as it may seem, all they needed was to be loved and cared for.
As infants, they had not yet learned – and “learned” is the most important word here – what racism was. They had not learned what police brutality was. They had not learned that people are full of hatred toward one another. And as far as my wife and I were concerned, the best way for them to never learn those things was to not teach them those things. Instead, we teach them about love. We teach them about acceptance. Most of all, we teach them about Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35 ESV)
I believe that is the answer to our race problem. We need to learn to love one another.
Sure, all races have their distinctions, and those distinctions should be celebrated when appropriate. But one thing I know for sure: All races need love. When we love one another it is impossible to hate.
We teach our children about the evils of slavery. We teach our children about the evils of brutality. But in teaching them these things, we teach that these actions were not right and certainly were not from a heart that loved.
Love teaches me to put others above myself. Love teaches me to look after your needs before mine. Love teaches me that racism is the total complete opposite of love. If we could all love one another, questions about race relations would be nonexistent.
You might say that oversimplifies this entire discussion. I would ask, does it really? Is it hard to love a 6-month-old baby or a newborn baby of a different race? Of course not. It’s easy to love those babies.
Looking back, it was in the adoption of my now 11-year-old and 9-year-old sons that I realized the answer to the race problem in our culture: Love.
Written by
JOAN KINRADE
Newnan resident JoAn Kinrade is a United Methodist pastor who serves as a chaplain, spiritual director and retreat leader.
The blinders fell off the eyes of my heart about a year ago when I realized just how much was missing in my commitment to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and to love my neighbor as myself.
With the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among others, I vowed to become an anti-racist, one who takes a stand in their sphere of influence to oppose racism. This will be a life-long journey for me as I continue to learn as much as I can by reading, researching, uncovering compelling stories that are excluded from textbooks and listening to the narratives of black friends and colleagues.
As I have listened more intently to these friends, admittedly with personal discomfort, I have realized that, while beautiful progress has been made through working and praying together, there is much more to be done to break down systemic racism. I remember my years of teaching first grade classrooms of all-black students and being told as a newcomer to Newnan that the Civil War “is alive and well” and, as a Yankee, I could never truly “call Newnan home.”
I’m proud to say that Newnan truly is home for us, the only home our adult daughters have known, and where our granddaughter thrives. Yet, I believe structures of hierarchy are still in place, especially around power, prestige and race. These are realities that I cannot continue to dismiss.
In our community, I’ve noticed a respectful racism where whites and persons of color coexist within unwritten yet defined boundaries. I’m becoming aware of microaggressions and biases and am also aware of prevalent racism, systemic gridlocks that plague society.
Last year, before COVID-19 was a reason to keep distance, this reality became personal. One afternoon, three generations of black men – a grandfather, son and grandson – came to our house selling pine straw. Just that morning, I’d mentioned how we needed to do that work, so when the men pulled up with their big trailer, I welcomed them. The two older men waited at the top of our steep bank while the youngest, probably in his early 20s, came down to knock on our door. When I unlocked the door, a glass door still separated us. We greeted one another, and I was struck by the young man’s beautiful smile. I immediately began to open the glass door, but he raised his hand saying “Oh, no ma’am. You don’t have to come out.”
I did anyway, and when I opened the glass door, he instinctively cowered a bit, backing down the stairs. In that moment, I recognized his movements were a reaction to me, a white woman. I knew that he backed far away in an effort to make me feel safe. That deep knowing brought tears to my eyes. It was a life-changing moment for me. Due to the color of his skin and my white status, he felt the need to distance himself from me. I did what I could to bridge that distance, physically and emotionally, but the chasm remained. Now that I’ve seen, I cannot unsee.
It can feel offensive and divisive to talk about race or to examine white privileged systems, but I believe we must open our eyes and address the condition of our hearts. I offer a challenge to readers who take personal offense to the statement that we may be, each in our own way, participating in systemic racism.
I’ve learned that taking personal offense is a spiritual matter where entitlement, self-righteousness, pride and a bent for control are at work. I find it much easier to blame others than to assess how I might be contributing to the problem. Loving one’s neighbor, whoever they may be, is hard and mandates humility and the willingness to face our human imperfections and the ways we are at fault. It’s a matter requiring honest dialogue, repentance, forgiveness and action.
To try to love as Jesus loves is messy, counter-cultural and risky, yet it’s the bridge to authentic relationships and healing, with liberty and justice for all.
It’s a move of faith that I believe is worth the risk. Won’t you join me?