Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
Proverbs 24:11–12 George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. These are three names that have recently made national headlines for all the wrong reasons. Our community, Columbus, OH, has its own names to add to this list.
Although these individuals have become catalyzing hashtags in the fight against injustice, we affirm along with the God of the Bible that they are significantly more. Each are precious individuals who are made in the image of God, unique and eternally important to Him.
During times like these, we are soberly aware that the students at Harambee Christian School live in the same world that brought about the unjust killings of these fellow image-bearers. Yet, we will not resign ourselves to complicitly allowing them to meet the same fate. At every school-wide gathering, our student body recites The Harambee Declaration, which affirms they are “made in God’s image, in an amazing and wonderful way” (Psalm 139:14); that they are “God’s children, totally loved by him” (1 John 3:1); and that they are “God’s masterpiece” and that He has a “special plan for their lives” (Ephesians 2:10).
We stand alongside our students and families in fighting for the fulfillment of God’s plan for their lives - a plan that does not involve them being dehumanized, mistreated and killed simply because of their God-given skin color. Rather, we are committed to seeing them become a new generation of leaders and peacemakers in a fallen world that so desperately needs peace.
We will encourage them in the spirit of our Declaration, to “dream and hope, to courageously do what is right, unafraid of Satan or people or mistakes, and to be compassionate servant-leaders, following the example of Jesus.”
And we will continue to lock arms with them in the fight for justice as we wait together, “a vast crowd from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9), who will bring about true justice and true peace once and for all.