By Kathy Mack, chair of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board
Weighing heavy on my heart is the violence and political unrest being experienced in Minnesota. Most of the activity is occurring in Minneapolis, but there is an ICE presence here in Rochester as well.
Reflecting over the last five-and-a-half years, there have been a sad number of violent acts that have brought national attention to Minnesota.
- George Floyd’s death in May 2020, followed by rioting and much unrest.
- Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their dog Gilbert were killed in June 2025.
- State senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot and seriously injured the same day.
- Minneapolis Catholic school shooting in August 2025, which left 2 children dead and 17 people injured with 14 of them being children.
- Renee Good’s death by an ICE agent two weeks ago.
Life looks chaotic and out of control to me. But I trust that God is still in control. I need to remember to put my faith in God instead of faltering because of what I see around me.
How do we stay strong in faith during disasters? The book of Psalms has a number of examples where the Israelites, the chosen people, found themselves in dire circumstances when their present circumstances didn’t match their expectations of God. In Psalm 89, Ethan the Ezrahite reminded God and reminded himself that God is faithful. God is powerful. God is true to His promises. God is worthy of praise. Our circumstances don’t change God’s character, even in times of suffering. These unwavering truths are a good place to start our prayers.
We can place our full trust in God because of who He is, not because of how well our lives are going. God doesn’t always answer prayers on our schedule. He often calls us to wait and trust Him as we hold tight to the hope He has given us.
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2-3, NLT).
— Kathy Mack, chair of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board, is also a leader in the church’s Northern Plains District that encompasses Minnesota including her hometown of Rochester. She gave this devotion for the Church of the Brethren staff Zoom meeting this week Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026.
#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving
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