“The thief comes to only steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it come to the full.” - John 10:10

Hope.  When I became a social worker, that was the word given to me. 

Dreams. The word it has shifted to in recent years.  One of my mentors told me once I was a “hope dealer”.  I was someone with the willingness to believe everyone could achieve their dreams with Christ.  Many times you could find me sitting beside a single mom and her newborn baby, dreaming and planning how she could buy her first home even while sitting in the ash and pain of an unplanned pregnancy and single parenthood.  

I’m no longer a social worker, and I’m heading up companies.  

Instead of helping single moms and dads dream dreams, I’m helping companies, and communities build their dreams.  Today though, I’m sitting in the midst of a new type of ash - left by violence and destruction.  You see, I work in Kenosha,  the epicenter of the Jacob Blake shootings.  

The news paints our Kenosha community as a place of violence, and destruction.  Every day you hear Kenosha and one man’s act of violence against another.  In this moment, I’m sure many would want me to choose a side - but I want to tell you this.

God is moving in my city.  Nonprofits have started in Kenosha, bringing together churches of all denominations.  People are in the streets praying.  Last week, I stood on one street where a building caught fire, before the riots, and several businesses were burned.  This is the same street I work in, where today my office remains untouched on a block that is showcasing riots and protests tonight. 

I stood there and an older black woman stopped her car to ask what I did for work.  She told me she had signs in her van that talked about hope and Jesus.  

This woman was taking her daughter to stand in the community with these signs because they wanted to inspire this community.  Even this week, I encountered a woman facing poverty herself who told me that she was going to help clean up at the courthouse in Kenosha.  On the phone today, I was talking to churches, pastors, and community members who wanted to know how they could bring hope into their community.  I was so inspired by their acts of kindness in the chaos. 

I’m here to remind you today that God unites. He will divide the righteous and the unrighteous, but the heart of His kingdom is to see people united to Him and united through Christ.  

God can take every instance and turn it to good.  He does not want us to divide, but unite as the body of Christ against all forms of evil and division. It’s not about right or wrong in this situation. 

 In the midst of what appears hopeless, Christ shines through. Just when you think the story is over, restoration occurs.  I can’t wait to tell the story one day of the other side of Kenosha - the one where the community unites and the church arises to bring revival and life to the ashes.  We can hold fast to the fact that God has come to give everyone life to the fullest and He restores what appears to be broken things and situations.

God wants us to search our hearts as a church and unite in righteousness and winning souls for His kingdom in the midst of unrighteousness - from both rioters and those who are facing injustice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alycia Marie is a free-spirited missionary and follower of Christ. She spends her days wandering around the city with the unique family that God has given her. At this time, she is currently working with two non-profits to tackle rebuilding families in the city of Milwaukee. In her free time, she plays with preschoolers, writes in coffee shops, and travels the world.