My sisters and brothers in Christ, as I write to you now for a third week, inviting us to a time of prayer leading to action as a congregation, action rising up against racial injustice; as I write to you I find myself thinking about how we may need to recognize our weakness in order to let the strength and clarity of God be our guide.
The apostle Paul wrote that in answer to his prayers for help in his own struggles, he heard God say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) These words of encouragement, to find strength through acknowledging vulnerability; these words deserve to ring still in our hearts today.
As we come together this Sunday, June 28th after worship for a Community Meeting, may God bring us there not thinking that any one of us alone or even our collective wisdom – strong though that may be – can show the way forward for us as a congregation in rising up against racial injustice. No, rather let us come together in our weakness and vulnerability. Let us come together having explored the resources shared from this and my other letters, as well as from other worthwhile resources each of us may have come across with a humble desire to listen and learn and explore and grow. Most of all, let us come together kneeling at the foot of the cross where Christ laid down life in humble fashion so that we may be raised up, not by our own strength and understanding, but by the wisdom and power and guidance of our Savior, whose grace is truly sufficient.
If you have not had a chance to read my letters from the last two weeks and the accompanying resources, they can be found at:
https://redeemernewpaltz.org/component/tags/tag/mission-anti-racism
For this week, I commit to you three more opportunities for reflection and prayer on our road to fighting against racism and for racial equality:
- (20-30 minutes) Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
- (3.3 minutes) And this beautiful Song and Music Video about Loving our Neighbor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=QXgO_0F_Y9Y
- (3.4 minutes) And this joyous invitation to unite from the Alvin Ailey Dance Company: https://vimeo.com/413636276
“Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God” – Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail.