As people of faith, we condemn in the strongest terms the recent killings and acts of white supremacy which have once again taken the lives of people of color in our country. We grieve along with the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the countless others whose lives have been impacted or taken as a result of the sin of racism.
Violence at the hands of citizens and police against people of color is unacceptable in every form, and support of violence from our country’s leaders is dangerous to say the least.
The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis is one of many manifestations of the deadly combination of racism and power in our country. It is one of many tragic examples of the impacts of white supremacy in our country’s history and present.
Responses to this and other injustices are infused with anguish, grief, and frustration rooted in hundreds of years of oppression in many forms against people of color. While armed white protestors shut down state capitols with no violent police response, protestors of color are met with tear gas and shootings.
Our faith, history, and scriptures call us to respond to God’s love by loving all our neighbors and to use our resources and strength to protect the marginalized and courageously build a better world.
The road ahead is long. Healing such trauma and violence is no easy task. But our faith also teaches us that a new world is always waiting to be born in and around us. We can and must change our actions and the narratives that sustain inequality and promote indifference to the suffering of others.
We remain committed to doing our part of the work ahead. Especially those of us with privilege are called to listen, enter uncomfortable reflection and situations with faith, and take concrete actions to hold ourselves and our leaders accountable in building a more just world.
May justice, grace, and peace guide all our living.
Amen.