Statement for FCBC Walnut Regarding the Atlanta Shootings and the Rise in Anti-Asian Sentiments

This statement was read at the beginning of our worship service on Sunday, March 21, 2021. You can watch the video on YouTube.

Good morning church. As we gather to worship Christ, our hearts are heavy this morning. We grieve the tragic events that happened in Atlanta earlier this week.

We can all agree that Scripture calls us to condemn sin, to grieve with those who are hurting, and to lament to God because of evil.

Regarding the Atlanta shootings, we grieve with the families of the victims. And we lament with anyone impacted by the senseless act of violence. We condemn all acts of violence and hatred toward all people made in the image of God, regardless of race.

Here we lament the loss of human life, as a mother would lament losing her child. And we hope to point hurting people to the hope of the gospel.

Thus says the LORD:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

lamentation and bitter weeping.

Rachel is weeping for her children;

she refuses to be comforted for her children,

because they are no more.” (Jer 31:15)

We grieve and lament that a young man raised in a Southern Baptist church would blame women for his sexual addiction. And use such an excuse to justify murder. As a fellow SBC church, we grieve with this man's church, and lament with them, believing the church’s public statement-- that they condemn and would never justify this man's attitudes and actions.

Regardless of the shooter’s stated motive or the type of establishments that were targeted, the fact is: because the Atlanta murders involved Asians (among other ethnicities), this tragedy, heightened the spirit of fear and indignation within the Asian American community. A community that was already seeing an increase in anti-Asian incidents.

Regarding the rise in racism toward Asians, it has come to our awareness that a growing anti-Asian sentiment is also on-the-rise in other nations.

Therefore, we grieve with Asians--everywhere--who have experienced any form of harm due to racial prejudice.

We know that not every act of violence towards Asians is related to the stigma of COVID-19. But the use of certain phrases by public figures, the repetition of these same phrases on social media, and the vandalization of Asian owned businesses with these exact phrases—reveal an undeniable stigma that Asians are to blame for the global pandemic.

Therefore, we grieve and denounce any rhetoric that stigmatizes Asians as the cause of COVID-19.

Here we lament evil by praying for God’s help, knowing that our hope is the gospel of his atonement for sin.

Help us, O God of our salvation,

for the glory of your name;

deliver us, and atone for our sins,

for your name’s sake! (Psa 79:9)

For anyone struggling with fear, anger, or pain regarding the Atlanta shooting or the rise in anti-Asian sentiments, please reach out to our pastoral team. We will pray with you and walk with you. And ultimately, we will point you back to Christ, our Redeemer.