We Lament the Ongoing Violence in the Country
Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ~1 John 2:10
Today we offer our prayers for the Asian American community across the country. We lament the continual violence and many forms of oppression linked to years of hate and Xenophobia. Particularly in light of Women’s History Month, we grieve this gender-based crime. Our faith compels us to weep with those who weep. Additionally, we are called to act in the face of injustice. At no time can violence be dismissed as a simple mistake or the result of a bad day. We live in a divided country torn by the pandemic of racism and inequality. We must begin to heal from systemic White supremacy that empowers individuals to believe that they have the right to place value on some lives as worthy of justice and privilege and deem others as expendable.
Let us be agents of healing by showing the power of the love of Christ Jesus. A love that is so strong the walls that separate people are torn down. True love in action goes beyond mere words but seeks the places where advocacy helps shape new norms in human relationships. The Confession of 1967 says :
God has created the peoples of the earth to be one universal family. In his reconciling love, God overcomes the barriers between sisters and brothers and breaks down every form of discrimination based on racial or ethnic differences, real or imaginary. The church is called to bring all people to receive and uphold one another as persons in all relationships of life: in employment, housing, education, leisure, marriage, family, church, and the exercise of political rights. Therefore, the church labors to abolish all racial discrimination and ministers to those injured by it. Congregations, individuals, or groups of Christians who exclude, dominate, or patronize others, however subtly, resist the Spirit of God and bring contempt on the faith which they profess.”
Our Asian siblings do not stand alone. Today we cover you with prayer and the spirit of unity. With an urgency born of hope, let us proclaim that we will strive for a better, more just society through our Matthew 25 and other ministry initiatives. Let us hope against all hope that limited progress in reconciling relationships, violence, and harm will not abate the kindom of God in our lifetime.
May God’s Grace and Peace Abound,
In Christ Service,
Rev. Dr. SanDawna Gaulman Ashley Rev. Nancy Talbot
Transitional Synod Leader Stated Clerk