We are deeply saddened by the events that have occurred over the last few weeks that began with the unnecessary death of George Floyd and many others that have followed. We have been processing, praying, and seeking God in the midst of these tragedies.
One main theme that has entered our minds is UNITY. The very first of our five cultural pillars here at Casas por Cristo is unity and is stated as follows – We relentlessly pursue the existence of a unified and healthy team. If words or actions can’t be characterized as unifying, then we consider them divisive, which are not welcome here. Unity requires humility, which is demonstrated by gentleness and graciousness in our dealings with others as we exhibit patience and understanding. Unity does not imply uniformity but involves embracing diversity through a common purpose.
We are all sinful. The enemy seeks to divide us so that God cannot win. But we know that regardless of anything that happens, God is still on His throne. No matter the divisive, cruel tendencies that exist in our world, we are called and have a duty to speak out and act against these injustices, including the racism that still exists in our world today.
Here at Casas por Cristo, we build and serve with and for people from many different cultural backgrounds. We build not only houses but relationships of individuals from different cultures to glorify God and to unite together to share the Gospel to the nations. These interactions help build empathy – to have respect for our brothers and sisters in Christ who look different than us, to appreciate different cultures and traditions, and to learn from one another, as we were all made in God’s own image.
While not being reactionary to every specific incident of injustice in the world, we acknowledge that we as believers are called to action. This is what happens on our trips – we are made aware of the conditions people live in and realize the inequality that exists in the communities that we serve. We desire for you to go home changed forever by the power of the Gospel that you experienced and realize how God is specifically calling you to build His Kingdom and love His people.
We do not always get it right. But it is our duty as Christians now and always to relentlessly pursue unity with the sole purpose of lifting each other up to honor and glorify our God now and forever as one body.
So, this is our challenge. Join us in finding new ways to love and serve those around us, especially those experiencing oppression. Speak out against sinful words and actions that create division. Seek out voices speaking out against these issues; we have been encouraged by words from Tony Evans and Andy Stanley on this matter. Pray for those who are hurting and grieving the loss of loved ones. And finally, let us unite together to bring glory to God’s name in everything that we say and do.
In Christ,
The Casas por Cristo Team