At the Countess Free Church we passionately believe that Black Lives Matter because All Lives Matter. Every person bears something of the wonderful image of God, regardless of race, colour or background.
All forms of racism are wrong. The recent events in America have brought this into stark relief, and we stand with all who peacefully want to bring about genuine change. We recognise that these problems run deep over many years. We are saddened that this is not clearly acknowledged by those in the highest office, and we are appalled at the rhetoric of violence against any people.
At the Countess Free Church we read from the Bible of God’s desire to bring all peoples together, and equally we read of God’s discontent regarding social injustice of any form. We see no way in which the Bible can be used to justify violence or ongoing oppression. On the contrary, the Bible contains stories that show incidences of oppression, and a careful reading reveals that none of these worked out well.
At the Countess Free Church we are people who are not perfect. As imperfect people we must learn to recognise our own deep-seated prejudices and where we have acted through our own lack of understanding. We do our best to follow Jesus who prioritised the marginalised and welcomed the outcast. It is our desire to become ever closer to Him – which will require us to face our own imperfections and seek forgiveness.
