So many are just exhausted by the division in the world, whether it’s on social media, on the news, or in their workplace or social circles.
Mission Mississippi has been working to bridge that gap for 31 years and they’re hosting events Thursday that are aimed at bringing together those who want to see unity be a top priority in the Magnolia State.
According to their website, “what started 31 years ago as a one-time statewide gathering of people from all walks of life to celebrate the oneness we enjoy in Christ has become the leading movement of reconciliation and racial healing in our state. So, with great excitement, we invite you to join us in celebrating 31 years at our Living Reconciled Celebration on Thursday, September 26th.”
The conference takes place from 2:30-6:00 pm at the Brandon Civic Center, with a banquet to follow from 6:30-8:30 pm.
Mission Mississippi President Brian Crawford said the theme of the day is “Living Reconciled by Loving All Neighbors.” The banquet will feature panel discussions and speakers from around the state and will include a showing of the podcast, “Living Reconciled.”
This year’s banquet will also feature the 2nd Annual Luminary Awards, honoring special men and women who strive to make significant contributions to the work of Mission Mississippi and reconciliation. The banquet will also include live music.
“In our politically charged times, a lot of our mind space and energy is focused on the thing that divide us instead of concentrating on the opportunities that we have to stand united,” Crawford said. “When we call everyone to love all our neighbors, we’re inviting them to look at the people that don’t think like you, talk like you, act like you, look like you — instead of looking at them as strangers or ‘others,’ we’re inviting people to start living out the Biblical call to look at friends as neighbors.”
Mission Mississippi has served the community for 31 years, teaching reconciliation and understanding between the races, and Crawford said that’s important work in a world that thrives on division.
“I think when you think about a lot of the turmoil that’s raised in the midst of tragedies around race, when you hear about the acts of violence — for example against unarmed minorities — that tend to really stir the pot and create all sorts of anxiety and creates all sorts of frustration, I think because of the seeds sewn by Mission Mississippi, what you get in this state is a core group of people from different corners of the state that are working together to try to get to some solutions, even though sometimes that core might be small, it’s incredibly influential. Sometimes it’s a larger group,” Crawford said. “I think that’s the unseen product and fruit of 31 years of investment in this work across the state.”
Since its inception, Mission Mississippi has done what it’s done by ripping off the bandaid in some places, and gently bandaging wounds in others.
“Having difficult conversations, navigating through the pain of these stories to get to some level of empathy and understanding, I think those kind of seeds aren’t even necessarily the kind of seeds that get credited, but they are without question part of the reason why we’re able to navigate through some of this with impact and effect,” Crawford said. “Even when you think about the kind of experiences we’ve had changing the state flag and navigating that turmoil to get to a flag that we all can celebrate and look to and feel like it represents our collective story. I believe all of this comes from this ground level effort to get people in the same room and get them to share their stories and learn from one another and equip them to learn, to equip them to listen, equip then to know how to agree to disagree.”
And those are all things Mission Mississippi has been trying to build from Day One.
Among speakers on Thursday is Brent Barnwell, the Executive Director for the Reclaimed project, an active missions organization that is currently dedicated to work in Lesotho, Africa and in Marks, Mississippi. Reclaimed does transformative work through teaching programs, Crawford said, and seeks to not only address the missions needs of those overseas, but also close to home.
The breakout sessions Thursday afternoon will focus on living reconciled lives in all facets of our lives, from the corporate sector to the church to our neighborhoods to our mental health.
“Mental health because we believe oftentimes our division starts inward, there’s an inner division that can bleed out into external division,” Crawford said. “It can be products of our own anger and trauma, and this is so we can be better equipped and better understand the stories of another.”
The banquet celebration will feature great food, Crawford said, and a musical worship experience from Word of Life Flowood’s worship team. There will also be a panel with Crawford and Pastor CJ Rhodes as the moderators, featuring Mississippi Law School Dean John Anderson and Jackson Medical Mall Foundation Executive Director Primus Wheeler.
“Those two are deeply devoted Christians on opposite ends of the spectrum, but doing the same work in terms of trying to aid our community to neighbor and lead reconciled lives,” Crawford said.
The “Living Reconciled” conference is Mission Mississippi’s only fundraiser of the year, and ticket costs go to help the mission, Crawford said. Tickets can be purchased at MissionMississippi.org.
“We’re inviting everybody. If you’re a person that is passionate about reconciliation, or someone that is really just exhausted by division and you want to be part of a new way forward that cuts against the grain, and you want to be part of the change — you are an eligible attendee, we want to see you there,” Crawford said.
