Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen marched alongside protesters for racial justice in downtown Houston, Texas on Tuesday, June 2.
Osteen told KHOU 11 that he joined the march in order to support Floyd’s family: “I came out to support the Floyd family, tell them that we love them, that we grieve with them. We care about them. We love them. We stand with our black brothers and sisters. We are all made in the image of God, so we’re just here to support them.”
Osteen said he hoped this would be a turning point for Houston.
“It’s an important time in our city,” he said. “We feel the pain. We’re all outraged. But I think we can turn the anger into action. We can do our part to love one another, to treat each other with respect and honor.”
He also expressed hope that, as in the biblical cases of Joseph and Stephen, God would take an evil act and “somehow bring good out of it.”
“I don’t believe George’s death is going to be in vain,” Osteen told KHOU 11. “God knows how to take what was meant for harm and somehow bring good out of it. This could be a turning point in our city and our nation. We can learn to love and accept each other in spite of our differences.”
Osteen is not the only Christian leader to support the protests. On Sunday, Passion City Church Pastor Louie Giglio told his congregation, “As your pastor, I not only support your right to speak up. I not only support your right to march; I say we all should march.” {eoa}
