Click the video above to listen to the interview with Searita Jones on TLC’s Inspiration for Your Day!

Nicole Georges Bennett spoke with Pastor Searita Jones, the founder of Burning Love ministries about Coronavirus pandemic and her views concerning the inhuman shooting of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Question: How have you been coping with all the restrictions, the changes that we’ve been going through the last few months here?

Answer: it’s definitely a different way of living for us. We have a new normal now; I have actually been more in the word and prayer more because I expect to come out of this pandemic a different person.

Question: What is God trying to teach us through this time and through this season?  

Answer: I really and truly believe that this was a wakeup call for everyone to be able to examine themselves and examine their lives and their relationship with God.

Question: How tough was it that this came at quite an interesting moment for you because you had just launched your ministry?

Answer: I believe that all things work together for good, for those that love the Lord. I believe that God knows what he’s doing and all situations and the fact that I stay in prayer, and I continue every day to ask God to bless this ministry guide this ministry and direct this ministry. Nothing that happens is out of his control. Whatever roadblocks we come into some in blocks, God is going to see us through it. It really didn’t throw me back in, because there were some legal things that we were dealing with also with the ministry. I believe that all things work together for good, for those that love the board.

Question: The name of your ministry is Burning Love Outreach. You’re coming from. How did you come up with the name Burning Love?

Answer: I didn’t come up with the name. The Lord gave me the name when he spoke to me and told me it is time for you to go and tell your story. I asked God, and I need you to give me a name. I shared it with my husband, so some names came out to me, but I truly just seek God. Tim was listening to a song, and it was called Bernie love. It was about Elvis Presley. When I heard that burning love, I knew that was for me, and I wanted the name to represent me and the way that I feel about God and the way I feel towards human beings. And I really, and truly can tell you, there’s not one person that I don’t love. I don’t have to know you to love you, but that’s what’s in my spirit. So Bernie’s love just truly spoke to my spirit. And I told God to let me know if this is the song and if this is the name, and he did. That’s how we came up with Bernie Love.

Question: What is the purpose of the ministry? What are you hoping to accomplish with the ministry?

Answer: I’ll tell you what our mission statement is. It is to lift up those who are suffering from a life of torment and addiction to one of joy, peace, and positivity through a relationship with God because that is exactly what happened to me. My story was, was unique to myself, but I know exactly the thing that God did for me He would do for someone else who is in the exact same predicament that I was in with drug abuse and addiction. We are looking to help people to change their lives, to get on the right track, to realize that there is greatness in them that they are from a Royal priesthood, that they are children of God, and that they have abilities to positively contribute to society. There Is a great life ahead of them because if you’re addicted to drugs and, and you’re a current user, your life isn’t what it could be is actually in a bit of terminal. So we are here to help, encourage, and inspire those that there is greater out there for them.

Question: What would you say to family members of people who are addicted, and they’ve tried probably all sorts of interventions what encouragement could you give to them?

Answer: I know what that feels like; I try to encourage them not to give up on their loved ones. I try to explain to them that this is a different person because family members know you before you were on drugs, and while you’re on drugs and these are two totally different people that you’re dealing with. I just really try to encourage them not to give up on their loved ones. If they know the power of prayer, I asked them to continue to pray. Don’t stop praying. Prayer is the best thing that we can do for anyone, whether you’re saved or not say; don’t give up on your loved ones. Hopefully they, that person whoever’s using, will come to a place that they want to get help and that they realize that they need help. I am there for the family members also to explain to them that I know exactly what they’re going through and for them not to lose hope on their loved ones,

Question: The situation that is unfolding right now in the US, we’ve got multiple protests actions across several States. As a woman of color yourself, what is on your mind as you look at all of this?

Answer: I am very disturbed by what I saw. I did see the video and being a mother of two African American males and grandmother of African American males. I am concerned by what took place. I think it was senseless killing, and this has been going on for years. This type of racism has been prevalent for years. We were looking at the news; I could only take so much. And whenever anything starts to mix my spirit, I have to remove myself from the situation. I think that this is a systematic problem that needs to be resolved. We have to stay in prayer. I do agree with our pastors that whenever we are confronted with whatever type of situation, prayer is the best thing that we can do now.

 I know that I believe that the word of God is truly being fulfilled. And in 2Timothy:3, it talks about people being without natural affection if ever you can kill something and not feel anything. Especially a human being, no matter what the color of their skin is, no matter what they have done, if you can take the life of someone else and not feel anything, this man is gasping for breath. He’s saying he cannot breath, but yet you keep your knee on his neck. It is not right. I think that the Bible is truly being fulfilled in every way, shape, and form. We are seeing it unfold in the last few months. Almost daily. I do not agree with the looting and the burning, but when people feel that they are not being heard, they react, and some react in the only way that they know-how and some kind of way that frustration has to get out. Unfortunately, the looting and the burning of buildings take place. But I believe that racism is a spirit too. I believe this sin is a spirit. And whenever we’re dealing with spirits, we know what the word of God says that the enemy comes to kill steal and destroy. He doesn’t discriminate and doesn’t care who or what he uses to accomplish what his mission is. I usually take a spiritual look on everything, but I am human and have feelings just like everyone else does. I realized that this needs to stop. It does not need to continue, but we need to need to be open and honest. I also believe we can talk to our African American male children and have an open and honest dialogue with them about what’s going on and what they need to do if they ever come in having an encounter with a law enforcement officer.

Question: What do you think of the argument that some black activists have been putting out recently that we are too forgiving as a race. Is there such a thing as being too forgiving?

Answer: I look at things with a spiritual eye. You don’t know what those people’s relationship is with the Lord. And if it’s in their heart to forgive the person who has been accused or violate it, who are we to say that they should not forgive? Who are we to say that they’re being too forgiving? Because from what I read, they are following what Jesus has commanded us to do. We have to forgive; forgiveness frees the big stuff. It frees the person who has been violated. If someone chooses to forgive, who am I to say that they should not forget? Does the system need to change? Yes, it does. That’s hearts need to change. Yes, it does that. Does that make it right? But I don’t think that we can go around and say that we’re too forgiving. No, but I think some changes definitely need to be made in the system and that it needs to be brought to the forefront. I also feel that it would be helpful if, especially, some of our strong spiritual leaders to stand up and say, this is not right. That our African American men cannot jog in a neighborhood that they cannot be arrested and apprehended in the way of proper protocol and procedures of the way that it’s supposed to be done. They should be treated the same way; their white counterparts are being treated. We should stop looking at each other with the eye of color and look at each other as a human race. That may sound cliché, but I think that is exactly what needs to be done. We have to start looking at each other as individuals, as human beings. And besides trying to let racism stick in and say, okay, I don’t like black people, so I’m going to do whatever I can to this guy. And if it means killing him, I kill him. I just don’t think that that’s right. We have to have the heart of the Lord. We have to have the heart of Jesus. If we are going to stand before him, I don’t know about anybody else, but I know when I stand before God, I wanted to hear him say, well done, my good and faithful servant.

I just pray that people would be blessed through this ministry. I asked for their prayers. I asked that I would continue to listen to the Lord and hear from God and be directed from God as to how he wants me to operate and run this ministry.

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