My Dear Sisters and Brothers,
We may not think about it much, but we are all a part of a cross-racial, cross-cultural church family. With this come unique blessings and opportunities. For one, we get to benefit from people who are different from us in ways that can help us to grow and feel blessed because of their unique contributions. We also have the opportunity to allow our connection to encourage us to pay attention to our thoughts and feelings and those of others for healthiness in relationships. Things may feel simple for us or very complicated at times. We may feel offended or misunderstood, or have a surprising sense of freedom to be ourselves. We may exist in peace or have anxiety in our togetherness. We may have to make extra effort to see others as equally as valuable as we are, listen for understanding, or explain things to help others understand where we are coming from because we are different and not everything that is "understood" for us is generally understood and accepted as the norm by others. As the United Methodist Church has updated its vision to Loving Boldly, Serving Joyfully, and Leading Courageously, considering how we love, serve, and lead with sensitivity to ourselves and others is a part of that work. 
I am including a link to the August 2026 newsletter from GCORR (the General Commission on Religion and Race) to expose you to a part of our connection that you have access to, that focuses on helping us to consider how God is leading us to respond with faith and in truth around race and differences. I am also including this information because I want to acknowledge and validate what you may be feeling but have not had the words to name. The information is an invitation to all of us into deeper levels of self and other awareness, healing, and wholeness. It is an invitation for us to consider where forgiveness and reconciliation may be appropriate in our lives around these issues and an invitation to extend forgiveness and pursue reconciliation. This information is also an invitation to better self-care. And, where invitation into relationships with those of different ethnic backgrounds is on your heart, don't wait to pursue them for God's glory. God has a way of blessing us and using us to be a blessing in unexpected ways and relationships. There is a cost to following Jesus. Love costs. It can cost time, old attitudes, taking on new beliefs, reaching out to new people in new ways, and more.
Let's acknowledge our cross-racial, cross-cultural community as a part of the blessing of being a part of the human family that God intentionally created. And let us love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously so that the good news of God in Jesus Christ can be experienced by all in Him and through us.
For the Sake of Christ and His Kingdom Come,
Pastor Comer