Dear Friends,
In the continuing upheaval and anguish that grip our psyches and communities what are we to do, and how are we to be, as followers of Christ?
- Pray the names of the slain, with respect and with grief and with rage at the moral monstrosity of their murders: George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery.
- Read the words and watch the images of persons of color, who speak with the authority of prophets:
- Read hard and thoughtful words from people whose wrestling with their racism may inspire us to wrestle with our own:
- Here, a list of “75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice.”
- Here, a call by the Andrew Goodman Foundation to deepen our awareness of the toxic and fatal racism for which there is no vaccine.
- Here, a list of 31 Children’s books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance.
- Listen to neighbors, friends, family, artists, performers who live in the same country or even the same zip code, but in a world made fatal by white supremacy.
And because we know the power of prayer to heal what seemed incurable, throw mountains into the sea, and transform heaven and earth, we pray: May God reshape creation, starting with me, in the power of shalom: wholeness, harmony, justice, joy. May God lead us into a resilient, honest, deep solidarity with neighbors of color and with all who have been denigrated, denied, demeaned, or damaged because of who they are.
Christlove,
Pastor John