Duncan's book, Dear Church... is a love letter to our church (the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America [ELCA]), which offers a challenging and hopeful way to understand God's life-giving and justice-making truth, a bold lens through which to imagine our compassionate response to racial injustice during these uncertain and tumultuous times.
No matter where you are on this part of the journey, we hope you will prayerfully consider joining us for this weekly community-wide Zoom FaithGroups experience (starting in January 2021). This is one way to find ourselves and each other amid the clutter and clamor of life. This is where God shows up in ways we don’t expect, and so badly need. We need this!
HERE'S A QUICK-LOOK AT OUR FAITHGROUPS EXPLORATION...
Why: God cares about and demonstrates how we inhabit the world; we're made to share life in inclusive, supportive communities... to know and be known by each other
When: weekly, Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:00pm, starting in late-January
Where: via Zoom to ensure our health and safety during pandemic (Zoom mtg link)
Format: a helpful rhythm of large group presentation/insight-sharing and small group breakout rooms/discussion (Listen > Look > Live > Learn > Loop) -- we learn as we live
Reading: we'll cover 2 sections/chapters per week, read ahead of time
Discussion Guides: below, by week
Weekly Participation in Zoom: ideal, but not required
Registration: email Nate - nateb@faithfl.org
Here we go... use the brief exploration guides below, based on Lenny's book (built around his chapter discussion guides) and incorporating additional materials, to help you find your way deeper into God's story, this shared story of redemption, reconciliation and unity.
*a note to facilitators/small group hosts: You have such a critical role in this journey. Thank you for stepping into it. Lenny's valuable stories and insights are as full of color as his personality. This is a wonderful and important thing; he is breaking open his heart to us. And for most of us who live in a euro-centric world, a certain amount of conflict will arise. This is a necessary part of the constructive and instructive process the Holy Spirit is calling you into. Allow space "around the table" (including silence) for people to wrestle openly with the assertions and convictions of the author. The communal prayer practices, videos and other resources wrapped around Lenny's discussion guide is designed to help participants listen each other into honesty and respond to God's call to engage living more deeply in God's kin-dom.
*feel free to adapt and adjust to fit your ministry context, paying careful attention to give credit where appropriate.
Week/Session 1 (Intro & Chapter 1) – The truth sets you free, and it might hurt a little, too…
Welcome & Introductions: Expectations/Ground Rules & Covenant (20 min)
Prayer Practice – Breathing Prayer (5 min)
Read: Acts 2:1-8, 22-24 (10 min)
2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?
22 “You that are Israelites,[a] listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth,[b] a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death,[c] because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.
Notice...
what brings the crowd from every nation together, how God’s presence is made familiar (vs 6ff). Also notice what the Apostle Peter says in vs 22-24, how his proclamation of salvation in Jesus begins with an accusation, a recognition of previous wrongdoing.
*Scripture and reflection from Churches, Cultures & Leadership (IVP Academic, 2011)
Video: trailer for Spark House’s “White Savior” (feat. Lenny Duncan) (3 min)
[-- break out into small groups --]
Dear Church Introduction (20 min)
1. Do you know your congregation’s or faith traditions’ “theology of the table?” Is that what some would call open table or are there some restrictions? If you do know the theology, how was it communicated to you? Whether it has been explicitly communicated or not, what is it in practice?
2. What “fundamental truths” are there worth fighting for in the church?
3. Do you believe the ministry of Jesus was also political? Why or why not?
Dear Church Chapter 1 (20 min)
1. How do you feel when you hear the ELCA is the whitest denomination in the country? Does that make you uncomfortable? Why or why not?
2. Was it surprising to hear that white supremacy is a system that doesn’t need active racists to function? Could you benefit from a system that you didn’t start or agree with?
3. What is challenging about the call to use the power and privilege of the whitest denomination in the country to join in the active dismantling of white supremacy? What is the joy in this call?
4. Is dismantling white supremacy a Christian undertaking? Is this what the church of Christ is called to do?
[-- come back together from small groups --]
Insight-sharing in Large Group: focus on what you heard, rather than personal views (10 min)
Katongole & Rice's Reconciling All Things (IVP Books, 2008) (5 min)
Thesis #1. Reconciliation is God's gift to the world. Healing of the world's deep brokenness does not begin with us and our action, but with God and God's gift of new creation. When we neglect the story of God's life and actions, reconciliation may become popular, but its content will always remain vague. Christians often try to fix the brokenness of the world in a way that puts either us or the world at the center. In responding to the urgent needs of the world, our first question ought not be "what should we do?" but rather "what is going on?" The story of our lives and the story of the world begin with what God has already accomplished. The center of that story is Jesus Christ-- "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. ...God was reconciling the world to [God's] self in Christ (2 Cor 5:17, 19 TNIV). When reconciliation is connected to God's story and life, the invitation to be ambassadors of God's reconciliation in the world is made clear and urgent.
Ending Video:
Closing Prayer:
Forgive the blindness that causes our eyes to notice, magnify [and fear] those things we regard as different from ourselves in others. Teach us to see clearly, that we, your children, are far more alike than we are different. Help us to put aside the racial prejudices embedded within us, and to see within every person the Child of God you created, our sister or brother, destined for Glory. In the name of One who died for all persons, of all colors, Jesus Christ. Amen.
(posted at the Social Justice Resource Center)
Week/Session 2 (Chapters 2 & 3) – whose story are we hearing? Going from guilt to grace…
Welcome, Gathering Time & Updates
Ground Rules & Covenant: Expectations/Ground Rules (10 min)
Prayer Practice – Breathing Prayer (5 min)
Read: Jeremiah 29:1-7 (10 min)
1 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah, and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It said: 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Notice...
in this complex and tragic account of the history of the Hebrew people… they were conquered and led far from home, a forced march into exile to a foreign land; God instructed them in their traumatic circumstances to plant, dwell, integrate, unite with, and otherwise step into the the unfamiliar culture and lives of their captors—to live in community; “…for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
*Scripture and reflection from Churches, Cultures & Leadership (IVP Academic, 2011)
Video: Systemic Racism Explained (5 min)
[-- break out into small groups --]
Dear Church Chapter 2 (20 min)
1. Had you ever heard of Rev. Jehu Jones before reading Dear Church? If so, what did you know about him? If not, why do you think that part of Lutheran history hasn’t been talked about more?
2. Do you believe that grace can be a balm to the oppressed? If so, how do you live that out in your daily life and discipleship?
3. Do you believe that “black bodies are the mortar of the foundation of this country?”
4. Is capitalism a satanic structure like Lenny suggests? Why or why not?
5. “Diversity is not assimilation in the same way grace is not that law.” How have you seen assimilation play out when people of color come to a Lutheran church?
Dear Church Chapter 3 (20 min)
1. When you hear a black person talk about reparations, what are some of the things that come to mind?
2. Do you agree with Lenny that the concept of reconciliation has been misused?
3. Was your church built by slaves or other people of color? Was your church building built ethically? Did it benefit from red=lining policies by realtor associations?
4. What would reparations look like in your congregation?
5. After reparations, is racial reconciliation mandatory? Or, is it still a worthy endeavor even if the guilt of the white church isn’t assuaged?
6. How does this chapter change the way you think about repentance and salvation? Is there such a thing as community repentance and salvation?
[-- come back together from small groups --]
Insight-sharing in Large Group: focus on what you heard, rather than personal views (10 min)
Reconciling All Things (Katongole & Rice, IVP Books, 2008) (5 min)
Thesis #2. Reconciliation is not a theory, achievement, technique or event. It is a journey. Scripture is central to the ministry of reconciliation because it both points to the specific end toward which the journey leads and shapes the path of our journey as we engage the deep brokenness of real places and lives. Without the unique stories of Scripture, we cannot cultivate the imagination necessary to live into the gifts and challenges of the journey of reconciliation.
Ending Video: Mapping Prejudice in Minneapolis (3 min)
Closing Prayer:
God of truth, in your wisdom, Enlighten Us.
God of love, in your mercy, Forgive Us.
God of hope in your kindness, Heal Us.
Creator of All People, in your generosity, Guide Us.
Racism breaks your heart,
break our hearts for what breaks yours, O Lord.
Ever present God, you called us to be in relationship with one another and promised to dwell wherever two or three are gathered. In our community, we are many different people; we come from many different places, have many different cultures. Open our hearts that we may be bold in finding the riches of inclusion and the treasures of diversity among us. We pray in faith. Amen.
(Written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; posted at the Social Justice Resource Center)
Week/Session 3 (Chapters 4 & 5) – why do symbols have power? Looking beneath the surface…
(PPT PDF HERE)
Prayer Practice – Breathing Prayer (5 min)
Read: Luke 10:1-11, MSG (10 min)
1-2 Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge: “What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.
3 “On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You’re like lambs in a wolf pack.
4 “Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage.
“Don’t loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.
5-6 “When you enter a home, greet the family, ‘Peace.’ If your greeting is received, then it’s a good place to stay. But if it’s not received, take it back and get out. Don’t impose yourself.
7 “Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals. Don’t move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town.
8-9 “When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, ‘God’s kingdom is right on your doorstep!’
10-12 “When you enter a town and are not received, go out in the street and say, ‘The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we’re giving it back. Did you have any idea that God’s kingdom was right on your doorstep?’ Sodom will have it better on Judgment Day than the town that rejects you.
Notice...
why the societal context might be threatening, what kind of steps and exchanges allow the disciples to shape conversational environments in a town, how God’s initiatives were ahead of the disciples, whose hospitality is important, how cultural elements play a role.
*Scripture and reflection from Churches, Cultures & Leadership (IVP Academic, 2011)
Video: Five Years After Emanuel AME Massacre (5 min)
[-- break out into small groups --]
Dear Church Chapter 4 (20 min)
1. What do you think Lenny is trying to convey by comparing his journey to that of Dylann’s?
2. What are the times and places you didn’t confront something clearly racist here at this church?
3. What does Lenny mean by “wage peace”?
4. What was the most troubling thing about this chapter for you?
5. Does our failure to name and confront evil in modern Lutheran churches leave us open to other tragedies like this?
Dear Church Chapter 5 (20 min)
1. Does the idea of changing or adjusting our liturgy and symbols bother you?
2. What are the sacred idols in the liturgy of your church that you would never change no matter how racist? What about symbols like images of Christ in stained-glass windows? Or the darkness to light imagery of Lent?
3. If your church decided only to depict Christ as a person of color (in artwork, in stained glass, on the front of the bulletin, etc.), what would you risk?
4. What are symbols that are important to the entire psyche of our nation and how can the church use that for good for the sake of the world?
[-- come back together from small groups --]
Insight-sharing in Large Group: focus on what you heard, rather than personal views (10 min)
Reconciling All Things (Katongole & Rice, IVP Books, 2008) (5 min)
Thesis #3. The end toward which the journey of reconciliation leads is the shalom of God’s new creation—a future not yet fully realized, but holistic in its transformation of the personal, social and structural dimensions of life. A key question must always be “reconciliation toward what?” Reconciliation is not merely about getting along with neighbors or feeling at peace with God. It cannot be reduced solely to the personal or to the social dimension. It is not merely a political end to conflict nor mediation without healing. Reconciliation must never become a tool of the powerful to preserve the status quo. Rather, reconciliation is always a journey of transformation toward a new future of friendship with God and people, a holistic and concrete vision of human flourishing.
Ending Video: Understanding Privilege, Acting for Liberation (ELCA Bishop Eaton) (4 min)
Closing Prayer:
Lord, Jesus Christ
who reached across the ethnic boundaries
between Samaritan, Roman and Jew
who offered fresh sight to the blind and freedom to captives,
help us to break down the barriers in our community,
enable us to see the reality of racism and bigotry,
and free us to challenge and uproot it
from ourselves, our society and our world. Amen.
(Written by John Bucki, SJ; posted at the Social Justice Resource Center)
Week 4 (Chapters 6 & 7) – Who makes up Christ’s body? Seeing the spectrum of beauty…
(PPT PDF HERE)
Prayer Practice – Breathing Prayer (5 min)
Read: Galatians 3:23-29 [MSG] (10 min)
23-24 Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for.
25-27 But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise.
In Christ’s Family
28-29 In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.
Notice…
principal divisions in society (ethnic, socioeconomic, gender); these real differences are an aspect of who we are in the world, and yet do not define our status/worthiness in the church; the gospel begins to undermine & transform these real differences; the text invites us to experiment with and practice living out the implications of this new reality in Christ
*Scripture and reflection from Churches, Cultures & Leadership (IVP Academic, 2011)
Watch: Thoughtful Thursdays, Ep. 1: What is Racial Reconciliation? (3 min)
[-- break out into small groups --]
Dear Church Chapter 6 (20 min)
1. When Lenny says the church is queer, do you believe him? Or do you think queerness only shows up in other places, with other people?
2. How have you talked about the ELCA’s decision for inclusion of LGBTQIA clergy? Has your thinking about that decision changed over time?
3. Is saying “the 2009 decision” a dog whistle, like Lenny suggests?
4. How do we as a church cultivate a healing sexual theology?
5. Have you ever talked to your pastor about sex and how it can be life-giving? Or have you avoided it or not felt safe?
Dear Church Chapter 7 (20 min)
1. What is Lenny saying about manhood? In what ways do you agree or disagree with his assessment?
2. What fast ideas about manhood have you had to personally shed or confront? How do sex, consent, and relationships intersect with ideas about manhood?
3. How can the church be a place of safety and justice for all people? How can we be that specifically for women or femmes? (Hint: men should probably during this question)
4. What is internalized oppression and what do Lenny’s admissions in this chapter reveal about that concept?
5. How can this church center women/femmes, particularly women/femmes of color, and how can the men of this congregation participate in decentering themselves?
[-- come back together from small groups --]
Insight-sharing in Large Group: focus on what you heard, rather than personal views (10 min)
Reconciling All Things (Katongole & Rice, IVP Books, 2008) (5 min)
Thesis #4. The journey of reconciliation requires the discipline of lament. We say “discipline” because lament is the hard work of learning to see and name the brokenness of the world. To the extent we have not learned to lament, we deal superficially with the world’s brokenness, offering quick and easy fixes that do not require our conversion. The discipline of lament not only allows us to see the depth of the world’s brokenness (including our own and the church’s complicity in it); it also shapes reconciliation as a journey that involves truth, conversion and forgiveness.
Watch: Welcome to the Apocalypse (feat. Nadia Bolz-Weber) (3 min)
Closing Prayer:
God, you are the source of human dignity,
and it is in your image that we are created.
Pour out on us the spirit of love and compassion.
Enable us to reverence each person,
to reach out to anyone in need,
to value and appreciate those who differ from us,
to share the resources of our nation,
to receive the gifts offered to us
by people from other cultures.
Grant that we may always promote
the justice and acceptance
that ensures lasting peace and racial harmony.
Help us to remember that we are one world and one family.
Amen.
(Written by Australian Catholic Social Justice Council; posted at the Social Justice Resource Center)
Week 5 (Chapters 8 & 9) – Which worldview shapes you, independence or interdependence?
(PPT PDF HERE)
Land Acknowledgement & Prayer Practice – Breathing Prayer (5 min)
*this particular land acknowledgement used by permission from Mary Hess, Professor of Educational Leadership, Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, MN
*here is more information on the importance of land acknowledgement
Read: Ephesians 2:5, 7-10, 22-23; 2:12-14; 3:8-10 (10 min)
5 [God the Father] destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ… 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth… 22 And [the Father] has put all things under [Christ’s] feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all…
12 remember that you [Gentiles] were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us…
8 Grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make everyone bring to light what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; 10 so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Notice…
old worldview seems to challenge the new church; the social barrier between Jewish followers of the Way and “others” persisted; social reconciliation, barrier-crossing, variety & diversity are witness to God’s intent/wisdom
*Scripture and reflection from Churches, Cultures & Leadership (IVP Academic, 2011)
Video: Understanding White Supremacy (And How to Defeat It) (3 min)
[-- break out into small groups --]
Dear Church Chapter 8 (20 min)
1. There has been a lot of talk about nationalism in recent years, but what is it?
2. In what ways has the last election changes your worldview? Or hasn’t it?
3. Is the American experience forever tired to the problem of “whiteness” as defined in this chapter and book? Will the republic have to break in order to address these problems? Why or why not?
4. Can the reimagining of the Tower of Babel story be helpful scriptural image?
5. How have we tamed Jesus to fit the American paradigm?
Dear Church Chapter 9 (20 min)
1. Is the church Lenny describes as the one he loves a church you recognize?
2. Do you love the church? How do you express that love?
3. What phrases or paragraphs captivated or intrigued you the most in this chapter?
4. Does the church love you back? If not, why do you still love it?
[-- come back together from small groups --]
Insight-sharing in Large Group: focus on what you heard, rather than personal views (10 min)
Reconciling All Things (Katongole & Rice, IVP Books, 2008) (5 min)
Thesis #5. In a broken world God is always planting seeds of hope, though often not in the places we expect or even desire. Reconciliation requires hope. But the ability to hope requires training. Hurried attempts at success in reconciliation can mask a desire to short-circuit the journey of reconciliation, revealing our inability to recognize and live with the signs of a new creation God gives. At the same time, it is easy to despair and give up hope in a broken world. The journey of reconciliation involves learning to see and embody signs of hope as well as training to live with hopeful patience in the sluggish present.
Ending Video: John M. Perkins on Racial Unity (4 min)
Closing Prayer:
O God of Hope and Unity,
call us into a deeper relationship to be your church for the sake of the world.
Help us to see with new eyes the injustices within church and society.
Call us to have a loving heart that respects and uplifts the humanity and dignity of every person; open our ears to listen to and learn from the experiences of people of color.
Open our mouths to speak up and about injustices.
Join us with others to work for racial equity and inclusion for all people. Amen.
(Copyright © 2019 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
Week 6 (Chapters 10 & 11) – Which Jesus are we following? Putting Christ in context…
(PPT PDF HERE)
Land Acknowledgement & Prayer Practice – Breathing Prayer (5 min)
*this particular land acknowledgement used by permission from Mary Hess, Professor of Educational Leadership, Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, MN
Read: Matthew 5:1-12 [NRSV] (10 min)
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Notice…
“blessing” = goods and services offered by Roman Empire (via Pax Romana); within these realities Jesus offers a different language for and interpretation of the good life, another way of identifying what’s real and important; a check on to empire/society, the religious establishment and those who violently resist; stock stories are challenged, concealed stories are lifted up, a counter-narrative and a story of resistance are introduced
*Scripture and reflection from Churches, Cultures & Leadership (IVP Academic, 2011)
Video: Jesus: His Life: What the Roman Empire Was Like (2 min)
[-- break out into small groups --]
Dear Church Chapter 10 (25 min)
1. How is our society similar to the patron/client system Lenny describes? How is the ELCA similar to that system?
2. Is Christianity subversive?
3. What could be your congregation or church’s prophetic ministry?
4. In what ways do you still need to stretch God’s tent to make more room for people in your community of faith? Why haven’t you start3ed this work yet?
5. Lenny says we are all ordained to this sacred work; do you believe that? What would it take from your community of faith to believe this?
Dear Church Chapter 11 (25 min)
1. Is the nation really on the brink? Does the church play a part in that? Are we responsible for any of it collectively as Christians?
2. What’s wrong with being divisive if Jesus was?
3. How is your faith community naming and confronting evil?
4. What’s at risk if the church is more political or politically active? Could your fears about a political church be unwarranted (you’ll never know until you try)?
5. How can you as a church be revolutionary?
6. Is this the greatest time in five hundred years to be a Christian, as Lenny claims?
[-- come back together from small groups --]
Insight-sharing in Large Group: focus on what you heard, rather than personal views (10 min)
Reconciling All Things (Katongole & Rice, IVP Books, 2008) (5 min)
Thesis #6. There is no reconciliation without memory, because there is no hope for a peaceful tomorrow that does not seriously engage both the pain of the past and the call to forgive. “Reconciliation without memory” and “justice without communion” are both failures to remember well—the first by forgetting the wounds of history, the second by forgetting the promise of resurrection and the call to forgiveness. A Christian vision of reconciliation provides resources to avoid both of these temptations by remembering the wounds in Jesus’ resurrected body.
Ending Video: Shattering the Empire (Jefferson Bethke) (4 min)
Closing Prayer:
Dear God,
In our efforts to dismantle racism, we understand that we struggle not merely against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities – those institutions and systems that keep racism alive by perpetuating the lie that some members of the family are inferior and others superior.
Create in us a new mind and heart that will enable us to see brothers and sisters in the faces of those divided by racial categories.
Give us the grace and strength to rid ourselves of racial stereotypes that oppress some of us while providing entitlements to others.
Help us to create a church and a nation that embraces the hopes and fears of oppressed people of color where we live, as well as those around the world.
Heal your family God, and make us one with you, in union with our [friend] Jesus, and empowered by your Holy Spirit. Amen.
(written by Pax Christi; posted at the Social Justice Resource Center)
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