06/20/2020
It is my privilege to serve a warm and faithful group of Christians at St. Luke's Episcopal Church. One of them asked me to share the message below, which I gladly do--and endorse. Please pray for all in Tulsa today. It is a long message but worth reading.
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The day is now upon us, though not yet the light of the sun. But the Light by which we live and are led as Christians is already risen over and within this, our beloved city.
It is late, but not too late, for me to make a request. Would you please ask every member of our parish to pray throughout the day that every person in this town today remain in and be filled with the Lord’s peace? And would you share that request with every pastor you know?
We know that there are divisive issues within our country and within our city. We also know that families deal with divisive issues All the time. This is a time when, like a family, we need as a nation, state and city to retain our central sense of unity and to pray for one another, for everyone, of all colors, creeds, beliefs, and persuasions, that all of the rancor that can arise upon crowded streets and amid confrontations will not occur, not here, not in Tulsa, a city which prides itself for being filled with people of faith, love and goodwill.
It was my privilege on Friday to help serve lunches to a group of folks who had gathered at a facility provided downtown by First Baptist Church for the benefit of our brothers and sisters who live on the street. People of many heritages served people of many heritages. There was peace among them and, during the prayers and messages, many hearty “amens!” and echoes of petitions for our Savior’s blessing. Surely that gathering suggests would the larger, impending gathering can be like, under the protection of our prayers.
Later, throughout the evening, it was my privilege to spend time at the TPD Academy where officers and many other public servants have been working tirelessly to do their best for the people of Tulsa to maintain and sustain peace for all. The messages I have heard the commanders share with the officers have been very impressive. They want peace without measure for everyone here. Of special note to me was the conclusion of one briefing I attended several days again. A commander barked, “Who will go for us?!” The dozens of officers responded in chorus, “Send me!”
With that reverberation of the prophet Isaiah’s vision of our holy God in mind, I bring this request. We know that there are those who want disruption to occur today in Tulsa. We know there are those who will gather, not to celebrate, not to demonstrate, not to congregate, not to ventilate, but to incite and instigate, and such hate-based actions can breed violence. But those of malevolence cannot overcome the presence of God in our city or the power of love and prayer in our hearts. We don’t have to be downtown physically to have an effect downtown spiritually on every man, woman and child who gathers there. We may be quarantined or even bedridden, but we can cover downtown with prayers. We may have a day fraught with personal chores and obligations, but we can cover downtown in prayers as we complete those tasks. We may have, like a colleague of mine, a wedding or other special occasion today, but we can help cover downtown in prayer. We may ourselves be going downtown for any number of reasons and causes, and we can fill our hearts with prayer when and where we go. As Christians in Tulsa today, therefore, when our holy God asks, “Who will go for us to the streets of Tulsa? Who will bring good tidings of peace to all gathered? Who will speak in prayer on our behalf?” can we not, each of us, wherever we are, in any circumstance, in the unity of our faith and baptism, as an army of prayer warriors, respond at once, “Here am I, send me!”
Prayer. All day. Nothing on the day’s agenda for us as Christians but prayers for peace and goodwill among all people on our city streets.
