"Well, I guess it's because it helps me stay focused on my faith," I responded half-heartedly. Growing up in the Bible Belt, I learned from an early age how to respond to theologically-complex conundrums like the trinity or original sin, but this simple query caught me on my heels.
Why do I go to church? I began to ponder.
This morning I went to Metro Hope Church, here in my neighborhood, East Harlem. Most people in the congregation were wearing hoodies in support of Trayvon Martin, the black teen who was gunned down last month while walking home from his friend's house in a gated community in Florida. Trayvon's killer was never arrested and currently faces no charges (as of February, 2012; Zimmerman was later arrested).
Wearing our hoodies, we had a time of prayer and reflection. We asked God for justice, healing, and reconciliation. We confessed our shortcomings and prayed that God would remove our deep-seated prejudices. We prayed that the church (the followers of Jesus) would be the institution that leads the charge in confronting racism and hatred.In that moment I was reminded of why I go to church.
We live in a broken world, marred by unclean hands and hearts. The sad truth is that the natural human tendency is to hurt rather than to help. The injustices we see in our neighborhoods and in our homes are a result of that flaw. I believe that God's love is the answer--the only force strong enough to overcome human hatred.
As long as there is hatred in the world, I want to be on the side of love. As long as there are hurting people in my neighborhood, I want to be a part of the cure. Trayvon Martin is why I go to church. Injustice is why I go to church. I go to church because, when my own love runs empty, it's the only place where I can be refilled with an abundant source of life-giving, world-changing love.
