Throughout 2019 the IPHC has focused on the biblical issue of justice. In 2020 we will place our focus on our seventh core value: \u201cWe Prayerfully Value Generosity.\u201d There is a correlation between justice, and all our other core values, with the spirit and actions of generosity. Our core values are interconnected.<\/p>\n
As we close this focus on justice for 2019, there are three observations I want to emphasize. While some of this relates directly to the United States, the principles apply to the IPHC globally. The justice theme this year has focused on listening to the \u201cvoices\u201d of those who suffer injustice. The most important voice is God\u2019s voice calling us to live righteously in our sin-scarred world.<\/p>\n
First, over the past few years in my interactions with African-American Christians from across the theological spectrum, I have discovered how difficult it is for me as a white American Christian to comprehend the ongoing impact of slavery, legal segregation (Jim Crow laws), and the latent racism that impacts our society.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I learned that the color of your skin determined \u201cthe talk\u201d that parents have with their children. As a white parent, \u201cthe talk\u201d is about sexual morality (the \u201cbirds and the bees\u201d). For African-American parents, \u201cthe talk\u201d is about how to respond when you are stopped by the police. Both are issues of life and death, but one is perceived as more about death.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We all should make a trip to Montgomery, Alabama, to visit the numerous Civil Rights museums there. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice features several hundred large columns representing the counties and states where more than 4,000 African-Americans were lynched from the 1880s to the 1940s. The names of the victims are etched on these stone columns. That history remains real in the consciousness of many Americans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n God is calling the body of Christ to bear witness to reconciliation, healing, and unity in our time. I\u2019m grateful that many IPHC congregations I visit have people worshipping together whose skin colors are different.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n May we leave church and go out and eat together in public! May we invite each other to visit in our homes! May we serve together in our communities! May we take time to sit and listen to our stories, better understanding our cultural differences and our togetherness in the kingdom of God!<\/p>\n Second, I am grateful the IPHC has taken a clear stand for life, especially the life of the unborn. I invite you to join me and thousands of others in Washington, D.C., on Friday, January 24, 2020, for the March for Life.<\/p>\n I am also grateful that the IPHC is providing opportunities for women who face difficult circumstances. One such outreach is the Royal Home in Falcon, North Carolina. There are local congregations partnering with local pro-life ministries that provide hope for women and their unborn children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Multiplied millions of children have been aborted in the United States since the Roe v. Wade<\/i> decision in 1973. We are nearly fifty years since this national policy, funded with tax dollars, became the law of the land. Today our nation is without millions of people who would be contributing to our economy, education, culture, and, yes, our religious life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I encourage the IPHC family to be engaged in the civic discourse of this issue. Respectfully write your state and national legislators. Support pro-life facilities and events in your area. And show Christ\u2019s loving mercy to people facing the difficult circumstances surrounding unplanned pregnancies. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Third, religious liberty is a growing concern globally. In India, IPHC ministers have been martyred for their faith. Christians along the tenth parallel from Africa to Asia face life-threatening conditions and are often treated as second-class citizens. We must remember that our voice for religious liberty includes speaking up for non-Christian religions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As Jesus taught us, let us \u201cdo unto others as we would have them do unto us\u201d (Luke 6:31). In the Western world, religious liberty issues are in conflict with the dominant societal views on human sexuality and identity.<\/p>\n The dividing line in the western cultural experience is human sexuality, specifically the cluster of issues surrounding sexual orientation and gender. The tolerance of the spirit of the age is moving towards intolerance towards any different expression or even thought.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Today, the debate over these issues is in the courts, in the marketplace, in public opinion, in education, and in churches. Sadly, sexual lifestyles that are contrary to the teachings of the Bible are advocated by the United States government around the world. Recently a presidential candidate of a major U.S. political party publicly advocated restrictions (i.e., punishment) against religious institutions that refuse to bow to these new definitions of \u201crights\u201d and \u201chuman dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n This is not only an issue for evangelical Christians. It has profound implications for Roman Catholics, Orthodox churches, and even mosques.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In this matter I want you to join me in prayer and reflection in two areas. First, we need to pray for the political parties in the United States. We must be willing to wisely and respectfully communicate with city, state, and national leaders our convictions and our concerns over religious liberty issues globally and locally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Second, as IPHC leaders and members we should not be na\u00efve about the negative atmosphere in the culture towards churches and institutions that believe marriage is between one man and one woman, and that God created people male and female.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Just ask Chick-Fil-A, an NFL player, or an evangelical parachurch group at a state university how vicious the attacks are if you refuse to accept the redefinitions demanded by our society. In some political, business, and educational spheres, IPHC members need to be prepared to be falsely labeled as homophobic, intolerant, and hateful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But we are not those things. We are salt and light in the world, and we live by God\u2019s truth, God\u2019s mercy, and God\u2019s love for our lost and broken world. Let us be wise. Let us be righteous. And let us not be afraid.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Originally published in Encourage<\/a> magazine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":4330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,305,1,610],"tags":[891,149,58,572,890],"class_list":{"0":"post-4328","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bishops-blog","8":"category-encourage-magazine","9":"category-general","10":"category-justice","11":"tag-2019-november","12":"tag-encourage-magazine","13":"tag-iphc","14":"tag-justice","15":"tag-we-must-boldly-cry-for-justice","16":"entry"},"title_es":"Debemos clamar audazmente por justicia","content_es":"A lo largo de 2019, la IPHC se ha centrado en el tema b\u00edblico de la justicia. En 2020, nos centraremos en nuestro s\u00e9ptimo valor central: \u201cValoramos la generosidad en oraci\u00f3n\u201d. Existe una correlaci\u00f3n entre la justicia y todos nuestros otros valores centrales, con el esp\u00edritu y las acciones de la generosidad. Nuestros valores centrales est\u00e1n interconectados. A medida que cerramos este enfoque en la justicia para 2019, hay tres observaciones que quiero enfatizar. Si bien algo de esto se relaciona directamente con los Estados Unidos, los principios se aplican a la IPHC a nivel mundial. El tema de la justicia este a\u00f1o se ha centrado en escuchar las "voces" de quienes sufren injusticias. La voz m\u00e1s importante es la voz de Dios que nos llama a vivir rectamente en nuestro mundo marcado por el pecado. Primero, durante los \u00faltimos a\u00f1os en mis interacciones con cristianos afroamericanos de todo el espectro teol\u00f3gico, descubr\u00ed lo dif\u00edcil que es para m\u00ed como cristiano blanco estadounidense comprender el impacto continuo de la esclavitud y la segregaci\u00f3n legal (leyes de Jim Crow) , y el racismo latente que afecta a nuestra sociedad. \u00a0<\/span> Aprend\u00ed que el color de tu piel determinaba "la conversaci\u00f3n" que los padres tienen con sus hijos. Como padre blanco, "la conversaci\u00f3n" es sobre la moral sexual (los "p\u00e1jaros y las abejas"). Para los padres afroamericanos, "la charla" trata sobre c\u00f3mo responder cuando la polic\u00eda lo detiene. Ambos son temas de vida o muerte, pero uno se percibe como m\u00e1s sobre la muerte. \u00a0<\/span> Todos deber\u00edamos hacer un viaje a Montgomery, Alabama, para visitar los numerosos museos de Derechos Civiles all\u00ed. El Monumento Nacional para la Paz y la Justicia presenta varios cientos de columnas grandes que representan los condados y estados donde m\u00e1s de 4,000 afroamericanos fueron linchados desde la d\u00e9cada de 1880 hasta la d\u00e9cada de 1940. Los nombres de las v\u00edctimas est\u00e1n grabados en estas columnas de piedra. Esa historia sigue siendo real en la conciencia de muchos estadounidenses. \u00a0<\/span> Dios est\u00e1 llamando al cuerpo de Cristo a dar testimonio de la reconciliaci\u00f3n, la curaci\u00f3n y la unidad en nuestro tiempo. Estoy agradecido de que muchas congregaciones de IPHC que visito tienen personas que adoran juntas cuyos colores de piel son diferentes. \u00a0<\/span> \u00a1Que salgamos de la iglesia y salgamos a comer juntos en p\u00fablico! \u00a1Que nos invitemos a visitarnos en nuestros hogares! \u00a1Que podamos servir juntos en nuestras comunidades! \u00a1Que nos tomemos el tiempo para sentarnos y escuchar nuestras historias, para comprender mejor nuestras diferencias culturales y nuestra uni\u00f3n en el reino de Dios! En segundo lugar, estoy agradecido de que el IPHC haya tomado una posici\u00f3n clara para la vida, especialmente la vida de los no nacidos. Los invito a unirse a m\u00ed y a miles de personas en Washington, DC, el viernes 24 de enero de 2020, para la Marcha por la Vida. Tambi\u00e9n estoy agradecido de que el IPHC est\u00e9 brindando oportunidades a las mujeres que enfrentan circunstancias dif\u00edciles. Uno de esos alcances es el Hogar Real en Falcon, Carolina del Norte. Hay congregaciones locales que se asocian con ministerios pro-vida locales que brindan esperanza a las mujeres y a sus hijos no nacidos. \u00a0<\/span> Millones de ni\u00f1os han sido abortados en los Estados Unidos desde la decisi\u00f3n Roe v. Wade<\/i> en 1973. Hace casi cincuenta a\u00f1os que esta pol\u00edtica nacional, financiada con impuestos, se convirti\u00f3 en la ley del pa\u00eds. Hoy nuestra naci\u00f3n no tiene millones de personas que contribuir\u00edan a nuestra econom\u00eda, educaci\u00f3n, cultura y, s\u00ed, a nuestra vida religiosa. \u00a0<\/span> Animo a la familia IPHC a participar en el discurso c\u00edvico de este tema. Respetuosamente escriba a sus legisladores estatales y nacionales. Apoye instalaciones y eventos pro-vida en su \u00e1rea. Y muestre la amorosa misericordia de Cristo a las personas que enfrentan las circunstancias dif\u00edciles que rodean los embarazos no planificados. \u00a0<\/span> Tercero, la libertad religiosa es una preocupaci\u00f3n creciente a nivel mundial. En India, los ministros de IPHC han sido martirizados por su fe. Los cristianos en el d\u00e9cimo paralelo de \u00c1frica a Asia enfrentan condiciones que amenazan la vida y a menudo son tratados como ciudadanos de segunda clase. Debemos recordar que nuestra voz por la libertad religiosa incluye hablar por las religiones no cristianas. \u00a0<\/span> Como Jes\u00fas nos ense\u00f1\u00f3, "hagamos a los dem\u00e1s como quisi\u00e9ramos que nos hagan a nosotros" (Lucas 6:31). En el mundo occidental, los problemas de libertad religiosa est\u00e1n en conflicto con las opiniones sociales dominantes sobre la sexualidad y la identidad humana. La l\u00ednea divisoria en la experiencia cultural occidental es la sexualidad humana, espec\u00edficamente el conjunto de cuestiones que rodean la orientaci\u00f3n sexual y el g\u00e9nero. La tolerancia del esp\u00edritu de la \u00e9poca se est\u00e1 moviendo hacia la intolerancia hacia cualquier expresi\u00f3n diferente o incluso pensamiento. \u00a0<\/span> Hoy, el debate sobre estos temas es en los tribunales, en el mercado, en la opini\u00f3n p\u00fablica, en la educaci\u00f3n y en las iglesias. Lamentablemente, el gobierno de los Estados Unidos en todo el mundo defiende los estilos de vida sexuales que son contrarios a las ense\u00f1anzas de la Biblia. Recientemente, un candidato presidencial de un importante partido pol\u00edtico de los Estados Unidos defendi\u00f3 p\u00fablicamente las restricciones (es decir, el castigo) contra las instituciones religiosas que se niegan a ceder ante estas nuevas definiciones de "derechos" y "dignidad humana". Esto no es solo un problema para los cristianos evang\u00e9licos. Tiene profundas implicaciones para los cat\u00f3licos romanos, las iglesias ortodoxas e incluso las mezquitas. \u00a0<\/span> En este asunto, quiero que te unas a m\u00ed en oraci\u00f3n y reflexi\u00f3n en dos \u00e1reas. Primero, debemos orar por los partidos pol\u00edticos en los Estados Unidos. Debemos estar dispuestos a comunicarnos sabia y respetuosamente con los l\u00edderes municipales, estatales y nacionales sobre nuestras convicciones y nuestras preocupaciones sobre temas de libertad religiosa a nivel mundial y local. \u00a0<\/span> Segundo, como l\u00edderes y miembros de IPHC, no debemos ser ingenuos acerca de la atm\u00f3sfera negativa en la cultura hacia las iglesias e instituciones que creen que el matrimonio es entre un hombre y una mujer, y que Dios cre\u00f3 a las personas, hombres y mujeres. \u00a0<\/span> Simplemente preg\u00fantele a Chick-Fil-A, un jugador de la NFL o un grupo evang\u00e9lico de paracaidistas en una universidad estatal qu\u00e9 tan viciosos son los ataques si se niega a aceptar las redefiniciones exigidas por nuestra sociedad. En algunas esferas pol\u00edticas, comerciales y educativas, los miembros de IPHC deben estar preparados para ser etiquetados falsamente como homof\u00f3bicos, intolerantes y odiosos. \u00a0<\/span> Pero nosotros no somos esas cosas. Somos sal y luz en el mundo, y vivimos por la verdad de Dios, la misericordia de Dios y el amor de Dios por nuestro mundo perdido y quebrantado. Seamos sabios. Seamos justos. Y no tengamos miedo. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\n
Publicado originalmente en la revista Encourage<\/a>","author_name":"Doug Beacham","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/Beacham-Article.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb62Bx-17O","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}