On Wednesday, November 4, 2020, after extensive prayer and discussion, we posted signs declaring that “Black lives matter.”
1. Why say, “Black lives matter”?
The Bible declares that we are created in the image of God (Gen 1:26–27). Therefore when the world acts in ways that suggest that Black lives matter less, we declare with God’s Word, “Black lives matter.”
2. Is this something a church should say?
The Bible calls us to care for the oppressed. God hates religion and prayer that ignores the burdens of the oppressed (Isaiah 1:12–17), since prayer should “loose the chains of injustice” (Isaiah 58:6).
Oppression happens in many ways, such as a hierarchy that measures value based on skin color. This formed the foundation of chattel slavery and has insidiously continued in Jim Crow laws of segregation, redlining and housing codes, and disproportionate criminalization of communities of color. In the face of a racial hierarchy that says that Black lives matter less, we declare, “Black lives matter.”
3. Why is Wellspring Alliance Church saying this?
The Bible calls us to carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). In 2015, Wellspring Alliance Church was formed from the merger of a largely Asian-American congregation with a largely Anglo congregation. Bringing cultures together has helped us to see our own blindspots. One blindspot that we have realized over time is that we had averted our eyes from the pain and injustice of our own African-American brothers and sisters. As we have realized the depth of this pain and injustice, we felt called to acknowledge this wrong in lament that we might move forward into the healing and power that comes from Jesus Christ.
4. Is Wellspring Alliance Church connected to or in support of the policy platforms of the BLACK LIVES MATTER Organization?
No. We are simply declaring that, “Black lives matter.”
If you would like to read more about our journey to the sign, see the following posts:
Why Say “Black Lives Matter”? – September 29, 2020
Black Lives Matter – A Sign – October 8, 2020