Water Is Thicker Than Blood
John Edgerton
May 17, 2022

The bonds among Christians ought to be deep, as deep as the waters of baptism. As a mentor of mine would say often at baptisms, “for Christians water is thicker than blood.” And so my heart breaks as our nation grieves two murderous sprees in just a handful of days. First, in Buffalo, New York an avowed racist and white-supremacist traveled hundreds of miles simply to kill Black people because they are Black. Then, within days, Geneva Presbyterian Church in California was attacked. The murderer drove hundreds of miles to kill Taiwanese people because they are Taiwanese. This was a stretch of days when those who believe blood is the most important thing in the world made their presence known.

But, for Christians, water is thicker than blood. The bonds of baptism connect us as one body with these grieving siblings. And so I am inviting members of First United to write cards of support and send them to our kindred. Here are the addresses of congregations we are inviting you to send notes to.

New Covenant United Church of Christ
459 Clinton St.
Buffalo, NY 14204

Geneva Presbyterian Church
24301 El Toro Rd.
Laguna Woods, CA 92637

We will also have an opportunity this Sunday for people to sign a large piece of poster board which we will send next week. Handwritten notes of love and support received from strangers are enormously important. It helps communities that feel singled and targeted to experience the embrace of the Christian family. The notes you send will be balm for the spirit of people who are grieving and in pain. I know because this is how I felt when I received notes of support at the church I served in Boston, following the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013. I know because this is how I felt receiving notes of support here in Oak Park in the past few weeks. 
 
The bonds of Christian love matter so, so much.