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A Reflection Series By Pastor William Andrews
Originally published Aug 1, 2014
The reintroduction of this journal is based upon that journey along with the many things I’ve seen and learned over the past fifty plus years. It will represent my beliefs, thoughts, and behavior as they pertain to the ministry on a daily basis.
Family reunions are so intriguing. You learn family secrets and things you never knew about, relatives you've never met. In essence, you learn about the things that make you who are. My reputation, according to the family, was that “Uncle Bill was always somewhere in the black hole.” In other words,
I was on the run, off to some faraway land, or in prison. I came to see that my life had been that of a man afflicted with madness, blindness, and mental confusion.
I was like the blind man, who “at noon groped in the dark” (Deuteronomy 28: 29-30). This was the reality of my life. I was oppressed at every turn because of the choices and decisions I made. This history of confusion and madness helped form the very foundation of who I am and how I think today.
This journal series will based upon that journey along with the many things I’ve seen and learned over the past fifty plus years. It will represent my beliefs, thoughts, and behavior as they pertain to the ministry on a daily basis. It will include my exasperation towards entitlement programs, my disagreements with black leaders (church and secular), inner-city communities’ failure to be accountable for their actions, and black/white relationships.
This journal will be based upon honesty, as I will be expressing feelings and thoughts on some controversial topics. Though there may be some disagreement, I will discuss some of my views regarding the rudderless, self-serving leadership of those communities that languish in hopelessness, poverty, and despair as a result of inconsiderate decision-making.
It is my hope and intention, however, that this series will foster relationships, partnerships, and understanding of our strife.
My prayer is for people’s compassion and desire for change to be encouraged and for their communication and cooperation to bring about change.
I thank God for the opportunity to come together with my family this past summer as it brought a lot of things into perspective. It was an experience that showed me those things that had become a part of my DNA and those long forgotten memories that helped develop my character. I realized how blessed I am to have a family. There are so many people, both biological and relational, who have been a part of my life. I consider you all family and I look forward to sharing with you the influences that have impacted my life and the life of the ministry.
Yours in Christ,
William
William Andrews is the pastor at Heart of Mercy Church and Executive Director of Mercy Drive Ministries.
To see more content and happenings with Mercy Drive, visit our website at www.mercydriveministries.com