Truth- Evangelist Tony Williams
Dear God,
We come before you excited. Excited as we think about all the truths about you. You are the God of the universe which says so much about your attributes and qualities. You are the God of power—more powerful than a singular solar flare, that is equivalent to millions of hydrogen bombs. You are the God of Artistry & Order as we look at the sizes, colors, temperatures, and brightnesses of the billions of stars, just in our galaxy. You are the God of all Knowledge as we consider, atoms & cells, compounds & organisms, plants, animals & humans. You are the God of All Mankind (all colors & ethnicities, all shapes & sizes, all genders & ages. You are the God of Steadfast Love which you pour on all whom you created.
As this week of Truth & Reconciliation kicks-off, we want to take time to acknowledge some other truths before you…the truth is we need to be different as a people, we need to be different as a community, and we need to be different as individuals.
The truth is… that we have sinned towards one another and towards you.
We have discriminated against one another; we have taken advantage of one another, and hurt one another intentionally & unknowingly.
The truth is… we have hated, neglected, and abused one another—God, please forgive us.
What is also true, O God, is that we want to be different! The truth is… that we see things are not right with us and we want to be transformed.
The truth is we want to forgive and be forgiven; we want to live in unity with ALL people, we want to consider others better than ourselves. We want to love everyone!
The truth is we want to deeply care for each other not based on biases or preferences; we want to love everyone.
The truth is we want to express care, show concern, and exercise compassion on our communities, especially the young, the weak, & the oppressed.
We want to love everyone.
In closing, before taking a time of silence to meditate on these truths… God, what we also know is true (and most importantly)—- is that with your help, with your power & knowledge that you have given us…we can be different; we can be changed individuals; we can be changed communities, we can be a changed Richmond, and we can even be a changed world.
Reconciliation – Minister Gabe Santos
