DE273 Pastor Soaries: Teaching Us That It’s All About Relationship!

With all the demonstrations going on in the country right now, I think it’s important that we focus on how we can best solve the situation that’s slowly getting out of control.  

Earlier this week, my brother shared with me an article by Tom Bergeron which featured Pastor Soaries. The article is a quick summary of the chaos that America has found itself in, and how we can focus on rebuilding a peaceful, diverse, and just society.

My Personal Relationship with  Pastor Soaries 

Pastor Soaries has served as a pastor at the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Franklin Township for three decades now.  

Having grown up as a Catholic myself, I decided to make a change in my place of worship 3 years ago. The place where I felt God guided me to was none other than the First Baptist Church where Pastor Soaries was the shepherd.  

The first time I stepped into the church, I instantly felt at home. The congregation was very warm and welcoming, and best of all, Pastor Soaries delivered the most enigmatic, soul-touching preachings at the church.  

Pastor Soaries, and the power of trust and relationships.  

Pastor Soaries likens the murder of George Floyd to the televised 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, atrocities that sparked the Civil Rights movement.  

He goes on to state that the only way we can work our way out of the current chaos we’re in, is by focusing our studies on what’s going right. Opposed to the current culture of placing our full attention and focus on what went wrong and who's to blame for what. By studying instances and communities where the police and communities have been able to peacefully coexist, we can duplicate these systems in our cultures elsewhere. 

And since not all law enforcers are bad. We should fairly try to work with them in trying to make life easier for them and ourselves. The only way we can change the current stereotyping of police by the community and vice versa is by working hand in hand with the police in ensuring they can easily carry out their duty of protecting us.  

In conclusion, Pastor Soaries places a major emphasis on building the structures of trust and healthy relationships in our lives. It is only through genuine relationships, where people are willing to listen to and accommodate each other's diverse opinions that we are able to learn and progress as a society. 

Timestamps 

(3:07) How I first met Pastor Soaries 

(8:45) More about Pastor Soaries’ life and philosophy 

(16:50) The power of trust and good relationships 

(19:02) How we can improve our everyday relationships 

(21:33) Sarah Young’s Daily Words of wisdom 

(23:24) Listen to Peace and Love 

Selected Links and Mentions 

Race relationship expert: Renowned pastor Soaries puts week’s events in proper perspective by Tom Bergeron

First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens

Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence (with Scripture References) by Sarah Young