The Salvation Army joins in the sorrow, anger and confusion felt by Americans all across the country following the death of George Floyd. Mr. Floyd was a former Salvation Army employee in Minneapolis, and the nature of his death is shocking to all of us who believe in a just, lawful and equal society.

The Salvation Army believes that God’s love is all-encompassing and it urges us to reject racism and discrimination. The Bible commands us to “be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”

We are committed to fighting racism wherever it exists and will speak up wherever we encounter it. As we pray for God’s will to be done on earth as in heaven, The Salvation Army will work toward a world where all people are loved.

We do not claim to be perfect as an organization or as individuals; we can all be better, and we can all do more.

We encourage people of good will to look closely at their own attitudes to determine how they can contribute peacefully to solving this problem. We will do the same to make sure that George Floyd’s life serves as a reminder of the goal we all strive to achieve.

The Salvation Army supports the peaceful protests and dialogue that have come from this tragedy. Our clients, staff and leaders are encouraged to compassionately and passionately display love for all, in non-violent ways. For our communities affected by the violence, we are here for you.

Never has our mission been more imperative: to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

We call on all individuals to work together toward a common cause in the spirit of love, tolerance and forgiveness.

Mark Merritt is Captain of the Sun Cities West Valley Corps of the Salvation Army. Visit suncities.salvationarmy.org.