Today, church was about courage...and how it’s not about the absence of fear, but about confronting/ overcoming fear. The pastor spoke about a member (with the person’s permission), who recently witnessed a hateful, threatening rant directed against a small group of people of colour (apparently the man uttered threats, and told them to go back where they came from, and other awful things), downtown - the person shouting was not well - and nobody of the several people around, including this person, stepped in and did anything...and the shame and regret this person felt. She had wanted to do something but didn’t know what to do, and was likely scared of doing anything alone...whether that be to confront the verbally abusive behaviour and ask them to stop and to leave, or to call the police. The victims of the diatribe left the situation...but inaction on the part of everyone nearby, had felt like a failure of courage. She mentioned we have to do more, also, to help those in mental health distress who would behave that way, to heal whatever caused them to behave that way.
I was glad it was somewhat social justice focused today...more outward looking. It was a good sermon...various bible verses and advocates of social justice, who are Christian, were quoted.
