Human beings received their value in Genesis. When God breathed into Adam the breath of life, he became a living soul. With that creation he received value. Value simply because he was alive. Not value because of contribution to society, job or sense of humor. Value because of existence. God bestows that same value on humans today and we are called to recognize that value.

Today’s world is struggling with how to value our black and brown brothers and sisters. Ears are open to this conversation now. We as a faith community value life and join with the cry for justice. Our intent is to be a part of the conversation that struggles with the how. We are convinced that we must, the struggle comes in what it looks like.

Each week during our worship time we include a story of racial injustice. Each person who chooses to share their story also shares practical ways we can be a part of the solution.

Wendel White shares the reality of racial injustice in his experience. Then he challenges us to listen, believe, and find our voices.

Sammie Shorter shares a heart breaking story of where racial injustice marred her family tree. She then invites us to see who she is, to set aside the phrase “I don’t see color” and to see the uniqueness of her culture.

These are stories in a conversation. While we will not always do it perfectly, we choose as a faith community to engage in the painful process that is civil disobedience. We choose to name the ugly sin that is racism and in so doing to be a part of seeking the biblical justice that is called for in Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.”

NAD Asks Members to Join in a Special Day of Prayer for Racial Justice and Equality

On Sabbath, June 27, 2020, the leadership of the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is asking its members, churches, ministries, and services to join in a special day of prayer for the deep hurt and frustration that racial injustice and inequity have caused in North America. As the conversations on racism in society and in the church continue to grow, we are urging the 1.2 million church members in the territories of Bermuda, Canada, Guam/Micronesia, and the United States to come together and prayerfully seek God’s guidance and leading in our lives, especially in how we relate to one another, and how we can help stop injustice against people of color.

As leaders, we want to ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and ears so we may understand and listen to our brothers and sisters, specifically in the Black American community, as they share the pain and anger they have experienced over the years. We want to ask for forgiveness, and we want to ask for compassion and strength to have the tough yet necessary conversations so our church can move forward in healing the wounds that run deep in our faith community.

By coming to God in prayerful surrender to Him, we can become the church God wants us to be to reach out to those hurting in all our communities.

— Click here to read this release on the NAD website.