NCC Leaders Call for Church Members to Stand with Their Asian and Pacific Island Sisters and Brothers
As leaders of the Northern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, we condemn the acts of violence and expressions of hate against Asians and Pacific Islanders that are taking place across our country, including the recent shootings in Atlanta and violence in the Bay Area.
Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all of our Asian and Pacific Island sisters and brothers who live with the terrible reality of racism. We want them to know that we stand with them against any who seek to do them harm.
Our conference has members from at least 13 Asian and Pacific Island countries, and we believe that our diversity is a foretaste of heaven! Violence, racism, prejudice, hate, and fear demonstrate the temporary power of Satan in this world. However, none of these evils belongs in the Kingdom of God to which we belong.
We have received clear instructions about how to live as citizens of this Kingdom: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, NIV).
As conference leaders, we make the following commitments, and we encourage all our church members to do the same. We promise:
• To listen and empathize with the experiences of our Asian and Pacific Island sisters and brothers;
• To speak up and take appropriate actions when we witness acts or hear words of bigotry;
• To work for justice in our communities;
• To refuse to tolerate racism, especially among members of the body of Christ.
Please join us as we pray for justice, healing, and love in our churches, communities, and country.
This statement was provided by the Northern California Conference for distribution.
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash.
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