Racism

Dear Friends,

People have asked me, “Why do you care so much about race and racism?” At different moments and in different settings, my responses would vary.

On the days when my Christian identity and faith are on full display, I would respond with ‘Jesus wants me to love my neighbor as myself’. I would then profess ‘everyone is my neighbor, particularly the most vulnerable of my fellows’.

History is instructive. Almost no one arrived in America like Africans. They came in chains, beginning in 1619. For the better part of 250 years, they were bought and sold like animals. They had names that were discounted and discarded. Whatever family arrived in tact was torn apart. Violence was a constant threat.

In 1865, slavery was abolished. Yet for another 100 years, life for African Americans was a heart-wrenching struggle chalked full of unjust and dehumanizing realities. The math is simple -- 350 years of individual and collective trauma.

Perhaps guilt is not the best emotional response. No one is immediately responsible for events that predate their birth. But as Christians, we are called to pour compassion on those who grieve. Furthermore, we carry the responsibility to work for healing in the lives of ALL who strive to be free of the persistent roots of trauma.

This Sunday, we will conclude our Courageous Conversation on race and racism. Our prayer is for its conclusion to be a beginning. Our prayer is for everyone to be asking ‘what now, what more’. As our faith tells us, we are called.

Rev. Carter Via