On this episode of Following Jesus with Christ Church, pastors Andrew vander Maas & Addison Hawkins talk with Annie Shek who was born and raised in New York City. While Annie & her husband Rich with their son Parker live in Grand Rapids now, Annie has spent most of her life in New York City. As many of you know NYC has been hit very hard by the coronavirus, and this has hit Annie especially hard. Listen along as Annie shares some observations & stories about how this has impacted her life, and the lives of those she loves in NYC.
Resources & more connections
For up to date numbers on the cases in New York City go here & for an update on the state of New York you can go here. For the most impacted area codes in New York go here.
In a time where we are all in this together, the gospel calls for us to stand united together. Yet sometimes we are struck by stories like those that Annie shared about racial injustice. Read this Christianity Today article detailing some of these same accounts.
Here's the press release that Annie mentioned that talks about over 1100 hate crimes submitted related to coronavirus.
If you have experienced similar hate crime encounters as Annie mentioned during the show please report them here.
For more resources from Christ Church, check out our Staying Connected during COVID-19 page.
Lamentations
[1:1] How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
How like a widow has she become,
she who was great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
has become a slave.
[2] She weeps bitterly in the night,
with tears on her cheeks...
[3:17b] my soul is bereft of peace;
I have forgotten what happiness is;
[18] so I say, “My endurance has perished;
so has my hope from the LORD.”
[19] Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
[20] My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
[21] But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
[22] The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
[23] they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
[24] “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Thanks for listening, Grace & Peace.