Friday morning, July 8: This morning, after the shootings in Dallas, we are faced with an entirely new set of questions, a new, heavy layer of grief and sadness for the lives lost last night, those lost in the events of the prior 48 hours and for our nation as a whole. I penned the letter below before Dallas. But, if anything is clear on this unclear morning, it is that we need to talk it through, including the poetry slam open-mic night Saturday night as mentioned below. Watch for additional opportunities for dialogue for the Caldwell community.
Dear Caldwell,
Tonight, as with many of you I suspect, my heart is heavy.
Two days. Two communities. Two black men dead at the hands of white police officers.
A few weeks ago in a sermon, I said it felt as if we were holding our collective breath until the next police shootings. Now what comes is so much more than just an exhale.
A pastor in Minnesota interviewed by NPR today said his African-American members were, once again, experiencing trauma. Another person interviewed there said she felt as if African-Americans were being “hunted.”
Yes, African-Americans feel trauma in a way that I can only respect but, as a white person, not ever fully know. Those of us who seek to support our African-American friends, to build the beloved community, feel, at the very least, a profound grief, a heavy sadness, a deep frustration that these tragedies continue without justice, a sense of urgency to act.
And tonight the shouts of “No Justice, No Peace” sound as appropriate and needed as ever.
The Book of Psalms gives us ancient prayers for these times, prayers called “lamentations.” They are cries to God, cries of agony, cries of anger, cries of abaondonement, cries of “how long, O Lord, how long?”
As Lisa Koons encouraged us on Sunday, action in the face of sin and injustice must occur. I am reaching out to my colleagues to inquire about any Charlotte gatherings or plans. One already in place is an NAACP rally in Marshall Park uptown at 5:30 pm Monday. Meantime, we can and must pray, as Lisa encouraged, and we can using the lamentations psalms.
On Sunday, as a people striving to be “one in Christ,” we will turn to God’s original revelation of what God wants for the world as a place of justice and covenant community – the Ten Commandments. As I will say on Sunday, the Commandments are not so much a check list for how to get on God’s good side. Christ achieved that for us. Rather, the Commandments can be a comfort to all of God’s followers in times of chaos and uncertainty, a sign that God’s vision and desire calls and equips us to do better.
Until then, shalom.
In Christ,
John
No, there will never be peace as long as there is injustice. But I must admit I cringe just a little when I hear “No justice, no peace” fearing that some might take it to mean ‘as long as there is injustice, the response will not be peaceful.’
This is a scary time for our nation.
I have been listening to Jim Wallis’ “America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America.” It has so many profound statements in it, I wish I could share them all (and I’m only through the Introduction and first 2 chapters!). But a couple that are resonating with me this morning are (paraphrased to a degree):
“Turning a blind eye to racial injustice doesn’t absolve anyone of the sin of racism.” [It is IMPERATIVE that we use our voices and take real action – including and most importantly white people.]
“Our Christian faith stands fundamentally opposed to racism in all its forms… our identity as children of God, which we [conveniently] forget, applies equally to all of us… Do we believe what we say about the unity of the Body of Christ, or not?”
Black lives matter. Blue lives matter. Every life matters. If one member suffers, we all should all be sharing in that suffering. Now is a good time to meditate on 1 Corinthians.