I am hesitant to add my voice to all of the other voices speaking at this time in history. Do I have anything new or original to add? I do not. Yet I choose to add my voice for the simple reasons of solidarity and of the potential dangers of silence. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
I have no simplistic solutions to systemic racism and violence. But it does hurt deeply. It is profoundly complex and comes from a centuries-long history. A pastor I am coaching now is preaching on the passage where Moses leads his people to the Red Sea. They are penned in on both sides and cannot see a way out. That is how it feels. I do not know the way out and I do not know what God will do. But I do know that we as the church are to listen, to reflect, and to take Spirit-led action in obedience to what we are hearing from the Holy Spirit. This is a posture I trust. We can listen to the voice of God, the voices of others, and look for what we see God doing in the world. We can reflect on all of this and pray. Then we can take steps forward in faith, acting in accordance to what we are sensing from the Holy Spirit.
I do not know the way out and I do not know what God will do. But I do know that we as the church are to listen, to reflect, and to take Spirit-led action in obedience... Share on XI recognize that the words of others may be more helpful than my own right now. So I’d like to point you to three different voices.
Voices to listen to:
This morning I listened to a talk by Pastor Brandon Washington, a pastor at The Embassy Church in Denver. I found his approach thoughtful, heartfelt, and theologically sound. I’d like to share it with you here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDZ8B4FNfeo&t=6s
If you would like to explore some potential actions you might take, Rev. Adam Trambley, an Episcopal priest, shares six things we can do in his blog entry here: http://adamtrambley.blogspot.com/2020/06/promoting-racial-justice-and.html
Finally, the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a benediction: “When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.”
Photo by Nicole Baster on Unsplash