We pray for comfort for those mourning. We pray for forgiveness, healing and reconciliation--those things that reflect the truth we find in the Holy Scriptures; that reflect God’s heart to all mankind. We affirm the truth of Colossians 1:20 that reminds us that God, through the Lord Jesus was pleased to reconcile to himself all things…by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
We, as the people of God reject inequality as being contrary to God’s will and ways. We recognize this as a problem not only beyond the borders of our nation but within our borders as well. As we listen to the voices of minority groups in our land, we cannot dismiss the truth that racial prejudice affects many Canadians. We affirm God’s desire to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (Ephesians 1:10)
We confess and declare the truth of the Bible that all human beings are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and as such, everyone has value and dignity. Further, we confess and declare that there is no place for the kind of hostility and division that is so prevalent today. While we condemn any abuse of power, we also recognize that there are those in authority over us (Romans 13:1-7). They deserve our respect and cooperation. We give thanks for police officers, firefighters and first responders who serve with honor and routinely put their lives on the line to protect and serve our communities.
Our commitment at Valley is to be a people and place where all are treated with Christ-like love, and where we honor and serve one another as we are exhorted to do in the Bible (Romans 12:10; Galatians 5:13). To this end, we will listen and learn that we may be part of the solution and agents of blessing in a hurting world. Where we have fallen short, we ask for forgiveness. We accept our responsibility to embrace and proclaim the truth of the Gospel and its implications regarding racial diversity, for we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28).
We humble ourselves and seek God’s wisdom and guidance, for He has said, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)