Pastors, evangelical leaders condemn Ahmaud Arbery killing, issue call for justice
Scott Sauls, author and pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, tweeted:
“There is a time to weep...a time to mourn...a time to love...a time for peace (Eccl 3). Why and how is it that people of color keep getting shot? Why are black parents more afraid for themselves and their children than anyone else? How can the cycle be stopped?”
There is a time to weep...a time to mourn...a time to love...a time for peace (Eccl 3). Why and how is it that people of color keep getting shot? Why are black parents more afraid for themselves and their children than anyone else? How can the cycle be stopped? #AhmaudArberypic.twitter.com/bOHJggvihE
— Scott Sauls (@scottsauls) May 6, 2020
Priscilla Shirer, daughter of Pastor Tony Evans and head of Going Beyond Ministries, tweeted:
His name is #AhmadArbery.
— Priscilla Shirer (@PriscillaShirer) May 6, 2020
Say his name - out loud.
To our children.
To our grandchildren.
To our neighbors.
In our churches.
To your social media followers.
And out of respect for his mourning mother. ????
We can’t ignore this. It’s wrong & devastating.
Christine Caine, evangelical author and founder of the 21 Campaign, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that combats human trafficking, tweeted:
This is so wrong. It’s sickening. #AhmaudArberyhttps://t.co/E12KOUa8Sk
— Christine Caine (@ChristineCaine) May 6, 2020
Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, tweeted:
The ongoing and outrageous violence in America against young African Americans must be stopped. My heart is broken for the family and friends of Ahmaud Arbery. We must continue to stand against injustice and inequality in all its sinful forms.
— Jack Graham (@jackngraham) May 7, 2020
J.D. Greear, senior pastor of Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and president of the Southern Baptist Convention added:
On Instagram, Chad Veach, bestselling author and pastor of Zoe Church in Los Angeles, shared a photo of Arbery with the caption: “RIP Ahmaud Arbery."
In series of Twitter posts, Beth Moore, founder of Living Proof Ministries, a Bible-based organization for women based in Houston, Texas, condemned the killing and called on the Christian community to stand against injustice.
“We will stand before God and answer for our silence,” she warned.
“For your hands are defiled with blood & your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies & your tongues mutter injustice...therefore justice is far from us & righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light but there is darkness; for brightness but we live in the night.“
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) May 6, 2020
On Instagram, Rich Wilkerson, pastor of Vous Church in Miami, Florida, urged his 785,000 followers to “not forget” Arbery’s name.
He quoted James 4:17: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”