Unshakable

In a previous post I talked about the posture of Baltimore City Police Chief Melvin Russell as he addressed a group of churches at Central Presbyterian in Towson after a screening of the documentary Walking While Black on the evening of June 12, 2017. He spoke about the opportunity the local church had to help solve the problems of crime and injustice here in Baltimore. He talked about the heightened violence in the city as an opportunity to be part of a real solution. And he spoke about these things with a confidence that made me uncomfortable. I wanted to ask him if he was aware of the numbers, of the record breaking trajectory for homicides the city of Baltimore was on for this year. Or ask for his thoughts on the exposure of corruption within the police force. (He was available afterwards for a little while but my wife and I were discussing the content of the evening with others around us for some time, and by the time we were finished he had left.) I could not understand his confidence.

On this evening Chief Russell was addressing the situation of the city from a spiritual perspective. He was talking to churches and was talking the Bible. He talked about light shining into the darkness and darkness having to flee. He was talking about Christians coming at the issues of crime and brokenness from a position of victory in Jesus Christ, offensively. He was talking as if, what the Bible said was actually true and actually applied here and now.

He did not talk about crime stats. He did talk about the number of invitations he and others like him had extended to large churches to get involved in praying for and going out of the church walls and loving on the criminal and dangerous elements of their communities. He did talk about the fear that existed in these large churches. And he talked about his struggles to pry them out of their comfort zones and into the areas that needed them. But they were shook. Comfort and selfpreservation were valued above sacrificial uncomfortable love. And he talked about how he eventually moved on to smaller churches and started gaining traction.

He also talked about God not giving us a spirit of fear. But he didn’t talk about the practical reality of the record high violence. And he talked with a seemingly oblivious confidence. It did not make sense.

And then, about a month later, I joined one of the many groups that have been prayer walking the streets of Baltimore. Chief Russell briefed us with an update from the previous week’s walk. There had been no major incidences of violence on the blocks the prayers had walked for that week that followed. He also talked about how the residents felt loved by those who had spoken with, sang with, and prayed with and for them.

He talked about light shining in the darkness and how sometimes, when you bring prayer and love into a place where fear and violence have settled, then those latter things get shook and have to move away.

He told us that we would not be going back. Instead, he told us, about the increase in car jackings on the blocks opposite. He told us that it had gotten darker there during the week. So that’s where we would be going. And the confidence that I had seen when he had addressed the churches at Central Pres started making more sense.

And as we went out praying for the people and the streets and singing praises to God I began to see the reason for the confidence a little more. Brothers in Christ prayed for and spoke life over d-boys putting in work, loving them where they were. I saw a little more of the confidence that could only be birthed from a love that makes no common sense.

Poet, spoken-word and hip-hop artist Propaganda has used a phrase that embodies this: “I am not at all in any way shook by Satan.” One instance is from the song “It’s Not Working” from the album Crooked. Another is from this must see video about Christ.

Recently at home group, our pastor read Hebrews 12:27: “The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” What cannot be shaken is the Kingdom of God and His love. Jesus Christ, the embodiment of that Kingdom and that love, got off of Heaven’s throne and descended to earth. He brought the light of God’s love into darkness.

I’m seeing that when you stand on that love and actively employ it, then that confidence that doesn’t make sense comes.

The indivivuals behind the CeaseFire Movement here in Baltimore are part of the Baltimore Community Mediation Program. Day in, day out, they work to bring peace to the city streets. They are not afraid of Baltimore. They believe in Baltimore. They also know the pain of loss to violence. That pain has inspired them to action, not frozen them in fear.

The media at large is trying to tell a serialized story about Baltimore that incites fear and pessimism and voyeurism and condemnation and inactivity. But the people involved in the work have faith that things can be different, in part because they are engaged in the work.

And what is the work? It is not a war on crime or criminals. It is the work of speaking dignity, value, and love over people. It is the work of using words to bless and build, not curse or tear down.

Perfect love casts out fear, because perfect love is actively loving. It loves in ways that offend our sensibilities. Jesus said that the harvest was plenty but the workers were few. Please join those who are loving Baltimore, not perfectly, but actively. It will help drive out your fear, and give you a confidence that makes other shake.