Let's be honest, the church has not always lived up to her profession of faith. Throughout our history, including the period of the prophets and the apostles, the people of God have had to learn what it means that God "desires mercy, not sacrifice." And we are still learning. But there is no better equipped people to demonstrate the mercy and justice of God than Christians who have been recipients of the grace of Christ Jesus. We are called to "rescue the weak and needy" because we ourselves HAVE BEEN "[delivered] from the hand of the wicked."

On February 8, 1968, on the campus of South Carolina State College, 3 young men were killed and 28 others were wounded when white highway patrol officers opened fire on an unarmed crowd of black student protesters. Most of them were shot in the back as they fled the area, and all of the officers were acquitted––the governor of South Carolina had publicly blamed the incident on “outside black power agitators.” This incident, known as the Orangeburg Massacre, is still considered unfinished business by many citizens; it remains an open wound. New City Fellowship is being planted alongside other faithful churches to bring gospel-light into the dark places of hurt, division, and shame.

Sometimes Christians give the impression that we are religious people who have everything together. We tend to speak only about our "blessings" or the ways that God has given us "victory" in life. But that is a lopsided prosperity-gospel Christianity. Just consider the Man we follow. "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." God is most high and worthy to be praised above all, yet he walks with us in humility. He is the God who was born into abject poverty. He is the God who washed the dirty feet of his followers. He is the God whose sacrament is broken bread and poured out wine. He is the God who "humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." And he invites us to walk with him by faith.