A word from NWC Superintendent Mark R. Stromberg regarding the Derek Chauvin verdict
Dear NWC Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The long-awaited trial for Derek Chauvin has rendered its verdict of guilty on all counts. There may be a collective sigh of relief over justice being rightfully carried out in the unjustified killing of George Floyd, yet we also know that there remain many reasons for us to reflect with sober judgment on all that has taken place in the past year relative to race relations in our land.
This particular verdict does not answer the question as to how we move forward from here. We know that hearts remain heavy, even as levels of fear and mistrust persist. We know that prejudice and racial disparities exist. We know that there are many questions left to be answered and so many different perspectives on how our world can become more caring and just.
And while there may be nearly universal acknowledgment that the courts got this one right, we also recognize that, even within the Church of Jesus Christ … within the Covenant … yes, within the NWC … there are differing vantage points on the broader complexities upon which we do not all agree.
It is during such times that I ask you to pray and keep your hearts and minds centered on our Lord. After all, our unity and hope are found in Him, not in our politics or personal experience or preferences. We will never be “cookie-cutter” people, nor is that what Christ calls us to be. However, we are called to be conformed to His image. In this, we are called to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. We are called to bear one another’s burdens and to count others as better than ourselves. We are invited into a relationship with our Heavenly Father which truly binds us together as His sons and daughters.
As we continue to pray, may God grant us wisdom and grace as we seek to walk in obedience and live into His high and holy calling as children of the heavenly Father … brothers and sisters in ways that both honor and transcend ethnicity and culture.
Courage!
Mark R. Stromberg
NWC Superintendent