#LoveActs Highlight
Guest Blog: Rev. Dr. Seth Pickens, Zion Hill, Los Angeles
Like so many churches all over the world, Zion Hill works to meet the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of our congregation and wider community. We host a food pantry that gives groceries away. There are 3-4 fitness classes each week, individual and couples counseling, and several topical classes in addition to regular weekly worship.
When most people hear about all the good we do and all the gospel-oriented gatherings we host, they typically say something like, “Wow, you guys have a lot of great things going on there!” As the pastor of such an awesome church, I manage to turn down the self-satisfaction and turn up the humility long enough to say something like, “Yes, it’s a blessing to be a blessing.”
But a couple years ago, the unpunished killings began to pile up on social media; Trayvon Martin. Eric Garner. Michael Brown…. Late last year, I told everyone to wear black one Sunday because #Blacklivesmatter. We even took a group picture: “Hands up! Don’t shoot!”
“This is beautiful! We need more churches on the front lines,” they said. “Just doing our small part,” I’d reply soberly.
Yet despite all our hard work, the killings not only continued, they hit closer to home. Recently, local gangs declared “100 days of killing,” and over a dozen people have been shot and/or killed in the last couple of weeks.
When I asked folks what we should do in response to gang activities, the answers involved either hiring armed guards or suspending evening activities. While those options have a type of wisdom, they are missing something—LOVE. We love our community and ourselves too much to shutter our doors. We love gangbangers too much to turn guns on them. And we love God too much to act out of fear.
So after much prayer and debate, I realized it’s time to introduce daily MEDITATION to our church and beyond. Meditation allows us to proactively face our difficulties and fears instead of reacting to what happens to us. I have just enough faith to believe that a closer walk with God is the solution to all our problems: gang warfare, financial crises, relationship woes, political drama, addiction, racial tension, insecurity, pride—all of it. So starting next Monday, instead of trying to do so many wonderful things and fight so many complicated battles, we’re just going to be still and let God be God. We expect to hear from God, and we are called to obey.
-Seth Pickens
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The Lord will keep in perfect peace the mind stayed on God. What is meditation but the staying of the mind on that which centers? Blessed by your response to the unfolding tension.
Thanks so much Alex for that wonderful reminder. Yes! May God keep all in perfect peace as we press into Him and His answers for our City of Angels. Love to you and the family!