Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd.

I blog your names so the world will recognize, remember, and honor you.

Lord heavenly father, I pray for their families, I pray for peace, and I pray for justice. God, you made this universe and the people on Earth. You SEE color much deeper and more heartfelt than we ever could. When you formed us in our mothers’ wombs (Psalms 139:13), you painted on our skin color, you filled our eyes with color, and you breathed life into us. You SEE color on an intimate level. And God, I pray that we begin looking at each other with your eyes. Come into our hearts Lord so that we may stand up against racism hand in hand. The devil is dividing us so I pray for your strength as a nation to rise above this hatred and conquer it. It is in your name I pray, Amen.

One of my favorite songs is by a contemporary christian artist named Mandisa and it’s called “Bleed the Same”. I’ve placed some of the lyrics below.

We all bleed the same
We’re more beautiful when we come together
We all bleed the same
So tell me why, tell me why
We’re divided
If we’re gonna fight
Let’s fight for each other
If we’re gonna shout
Let love be the cry
We all bleed the same
So tell me why, tell me why
We’re divided

“When we bleed, we all bleed the same.” When you were killed, Ahmaud, Breonna, and George, we all bled.

“If we’re gonna fight, let’s fight for each other.” I am writing this blog to stand up against racism and to fight for what is right.

“If we’re gonna shout, let love be the cry.” I shout for your justice because we are commanded by Jesus to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39).

Any division of people for any reason is NOT of Christ.

If you call yourself a Christian, then you can NOT be accepting of any racial division. In Galatians 3:26-28, Paul addressed this.

“For you are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

As Christians, we are ONE body of Christ. ONE. We can’t be divided, otherwise we fail. We can’t function as a people.

Moses stood up against the Egyptians when his people were enslaved.

Esther stood up against her own husband (the king) in order to save her people.

The Bible is riddled with division but it is also riddled with unity. When Christ came to be the ultimate sacrifice, He came for ALL of us. He came to STOP division, to show us LOVE, and to show FORGIVENESS.

As a Physician Assistant, I heal people of all color.

As a Christian, I LOVE people of all color. I do this because God loved me first and my love is modeled after his love.

So, today, online for the world to see, I am STANDING UP against racism! And I call everyone else to do the same!

We all bleed the same. Now is the time to stop the bloodshed.