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Jan 12 2023

The Relationship Between Unity and Justice

This year’s theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is “Do Good; Seek Justice” (Isaiah 1:17); chosen by the Minnesota Council of Churches.  This year’s theme integrates a holistic understanding of justice, including how we can live our unity as Christians so as to confront the evils and injustices of our time, and in particular addressing the sin of racism.

The 2023 theme was developed with the assistance of a group of Christians in Minnesota, USA, convened by the Minnesota Council of Churches. Minneapolis, MN became a flashpoint for calls for racial justice and equity during the responses of communities to the George Floyd murder. This received world-wide attention and spurred on an awakening for the unjust reality that communities of color have faced for centuries and the change that is so imperative today.

Read below to hear about how UniteBoston’s staff members Rev. Devlin and Rev. Kelly have been wrestling with the relationship between unity and justice and implications for UniteBoston’s work in the city.


Above: Participants in the Boston Pray march for racial justice in June 2020

Rev. Devlin Scott’s Reflection:

Like the world we inhabit today, the worlds of both the Old Testament and New Testament were ethnically diverse and richly textured by an assortment of cultures, languages and customs. And, also like today, ancient peoples had a number of ways to distinguish between locals and out-of-towners, friends and enemies, the elite and the marginalized. Prejudice comes in all varieties- yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

God uses prophets to call His people to a better standard than the one set around them. The Prophet Isaiah called the people to “Learn to do right; seek justice…(Isaiah 1:17).” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King prophesied that “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” And so many other voices call us to this same standard.  The relationship between unity and justice is that of true “shalom” – peace; something that activates all of God’s people to participate, protect and promote right relationship between all people and creation.

I have sat in Christian spaces that promoted unity, but lacked justice. I think about the church where I was the only black staff member. I remember when I was given the reason our church wouldn’t acknowledge the atrocities around us (Travon Martin at the time) was because my white pastor didn’t want to offend the police in the congregation. Never mind me, a staff member of color. I have stood on stages and proclaimed mission statements that celebrated the diversity in the room, while I took home less pay than my white counterparts who were less educated, had less experience, and carried a lighter load for organizational impact. Prejudice comes in all varieties: yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

This week of prayer is a moment for us to be convicted of Christ’s prophetic command, “Love your God with your heart, mind and soul, strength… love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39).This is the commandment made possible through the redemptive work on the cross that reconciled us to God (vertical) and to one another (horizontal). One is incomplete without the other. The two do more than complement each other; each is worthless, impossible, or false without the other. This concept was revolutionary in Jesus’ day and, I believe, we still have not quite tapped into this revolutionary love in application.

“Revolutionary Love” is about ally-ship. To be an ally is to take on the struggle as your own, to stand up even when you feel scared, to transfer the benefits of your privilege to those who lack it, and to acknowledge that, while you too feel pain, the conversation is not always about you. Is that not what Christ did with his life, death, and resurrection; not just for us, but as an example to us?

Each of us may not have directly participated in the atrocities of our ancestry, but we can accept responsibility. We may not be victims of the pain of the present, but we can mourn the wrongdoings, the loss of life, identity, and self-respect in order to be a part of the healing. We can be allies. We can be like Christ, by taking up our own undeserving cross for the sake of our neighbors. We can uproot the sin of self-preference and preservation that is inherently at the very core of humanity since the first Adam chose obsession over obedience. 

I believe the Church is still the hope of the world; not because she is perfect but because she bears the name of the One who is. Therefore…we do good; seek justice. 


Rev. Kelly Fassett’s Reflection:

Unity without justice at the heart of it is no unity at all.

This is something that I heard in prayer last spring as I was reckoning with some tough feedback we received as an organization. This feedback led me on a journey of interviewing leaders of color in the city, asking them about UniteBoston’s programs and communication and how we can better include and partner with communities of color towards holistic flourishing in the city.

One thing that surprised me in these interviews was people’s perception of the term “unity.” Throughout my life, unity has been a positive concept, conveying a coming together, peace and harmony. I was surprised when in multiple interviews, people of color described how off-putting the term “unity” was. One pastor said, “Unity”- with a  giant eyeroll – “NO, thank you!” She added, “Unity often implies tacit agreement and everything lined up, tidy, and comfortable. Yet for Black people, unity often means that our culture and perspectives are erased.”

I then began to notice how often White people are at the forefront of “unity” initiatives and how persons of color tend to be at the forefront of “justice” initiatives. So this year, Devlin and I are intentionally seeking to clarify the “unity” in UniteBoston and also the relationship between unity and justice.

I am learning that unity and the oneness Christ calls us to is not an ethereal, surface-level concept of getting everyone in the same room, but is instead a deep work, requiring both truth-telling and restorative healing of wrongs. True Biblical unity involves strengthening interpersonal relationships and also dismantling sinful systemic power structures such as white supremacy. In this way, unity and justice are intrinsically linked.

Thus, I am beginning to see that the mission to “unite Boston” is much more deep and complex than I had ever realized. I am currently grappling to understand what this means for how we communicate, operate and serve as an organization. I don’t have many answers at this point, but I am learning that there are a lot of areas I don’t see clearly on my own. Whenever possible, I need to yield my power and privilege and follow persons of color to take the lead. 

I want to close with this litany written by Dr. Yolanda Pierce who so clearly conveys the need to pause and sit in the complex realities of working for justice.

A Litany for Those Not Ready for Healing

Let us not rush to the language of healing, before understanding the fullness of the injury and the depth of the wound.

Let us not rush to offer a band­aid, when the gaping wound requires surgery and complete reconstruction.

Let us not offer false equivalencies, thereby diminishing the particular pain being felt in a particular circumstance in a particular historical moment.

Let us not speak of reconciliation without speaking of reparations and restoration, or how we can repair the breach and how we can restore the loss.

Let us not rush past the loss of this mother’s child, this father’s child…someone’s beloved son.

Let us not value property over people; let us not protect material objects while human lives hang in the balance.

Let us not value a false peace over a righteous justice.

Let us not be afraid to sit with the ugliness, the messiness, and the pain that is life in community together.

Let us not offer clichés to the grieving, those whose hearts are being torn asunder.

Instead…

Let us mourn black and brown men and women, those killed extrajudicially every 28 hours.

Let us lament the loss of a teenager, dead at the hands of a police officer who described him as a demon.

Let us weep at a criminal justice system, which is neither blind nor just.

Let us call for the mourning men and the wailing women, those willing to rend their garments of privilege and ease, and sit in the ashes of this nation’s original sin.

Let us be silent when we don’t know what to say.

Let us be humble and listen to the pain, rage, and grief pouring from the lips of our neighbors and friends.

Let us decrease, so that our brothers and sisters who live on the underside of history may increase.

Let us pray with our eyes open and our feet firmly planted on the ground

Let us listen to the shattering glass and let us smell the purifying fires, for it is the language of the unheard.

God, in your mercy…

Show me my own complicity in injustice.

Convict me for my indifference.

Forgive me when I have remained silent.

Equip me with a zeal for righteousness.

Never let me grow accustomed or acclimated to unrighteousness.

     – Dr Yolanda Pierce

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog

Jan 05 2023

UniteBoston’s Top Twelve Highlights from 2022

Through hosting larger public gatherings like the UB concert, and also through collaborating with other organizations, 2022 was a year in which we continued our work as an incubator and catalyst for unity, reconciliation and shared mission, for the flourishing of the city. Read below to see UniteBoston’s top twelve highlighted photos & videos of 2022!

Highlight #12: Film screening and panel discussion on “A Reckoning in Boston” with Rev. Valerie Copeland, and film subjects Kafi Dixon and Tolga. This documentary explores the deep racial history between black and white communities within the city of Boston, including marginalization, gentrification and community violence.

Highlight #11: Prayer gathering during 1000 Fires Boston, where UniteBoston partnered with a variety of other churches and community organizations to host 106 “fires” of prayer for our city and neighborhoods.

Highlight #10: UniteBoston partnered with the New Democracy Coalition and other local partners to host a Juneteenth Jubilee Observance at City Hall Plaza

 Highlight #9: In July, UniteBoston hosted twenty-five next-generation BIPOC leaders on a retreat to Spectacle Island to be renewed, recharge and reconnect with other like minded people who are “doing the work” in their various communities. Here, Pastor Devlin Scott shares a devotional on laying down our burdens. 

Highlight #8: “Where do we go from here?” A Panel with Next Generation Leaders, including Christian Grant, Katie Lamirato, Andrea St. Louis, Fugi Acevedo and Jane Kyong Chun with Rev. David Wright as the moderator. They shared about the need for the Church to engage in the collective struggle against correcting oppression, to practice what we preach, to partner with anyone and everyone for the sake of a greater mission, and create space for difference rather than fearing it. Watch the full length video or a 3-minute highlight version.

Highlight #7: Interviewing Pastor Drew Thurman about the launch of Common Good Co., a coffeeshop and coworking studio in the Waltham area.

Highlight #6: Intergenerational Kingdom Conversation at Grace Chapel, where individuals engaged in structured conversation, listening and sharing about what it means for their generation to be part of the church.

Highlight #5: Celebrating Rev. Devlin’s one-year anniversary of being on staff with UniteBoston! We are grateful for all that he brings to our ministry and work in the city.

Highlight #4: Fireside Chat at the UniteBoston Fundraising Party. Here, Rev. Kelly and Rev. Devlin share how “nurture” is a key posture for UB’s work in the city, recent learnings around the need to uphold unity in diversity and root out white supremacy, and ministry priorities for this program year.

Highlight #3: Dreaming and Planning at a Fall Retreat with the UniteBoston Staff and Board. From Left to Right – Melinda Priest, Devlin Scott Ayeisha Dennise, Kika Ghobrial, Chuck Hall, Varnel Antoine, Kelly Fassett, Robin Lutjohann

Highlight #2: “Together Again” Concert. After a 2-year hiatus, UniteBoston’s 2022 worship concert brought us “together again” to worship Jesus in the heart of Boston. There were 15 different organizations hosting ministry tables surrounding the perimeter of the gathering, 30+ members of a community choir, and hundreds of attendees and passersby who stopped by for a portion of the evening to listen to the music, learn about the various organizations in the city, or receive prayer.

Jen Aldana sings it loud and proud at the 2022 “Together Again Concert. She shares, “The UniteBoston concert was awesome! It was a sure sign that the people of God are hungry for God’s presence and excited to worship Him as one church. It was a great night of celebration and unity. I loved meeting new faces and being reunited with old friends. Might I mention that the band was amazing! We had so much fun worshipping! Thank you UniteBoston for hosting such a great night!”

Highlight #1: Boston Flourish Conference. In November, UniteBoston partnered with other organizations to host a conference called “Boston Flourish,” which is a movement for dreamers and doers to activate and partner towards a Boston where everyone flourishes. Approximately 180 people came out to our day-long conference, and dozens of individuals signed up to be part of ongoing working teams to build capacity for local ministry efforts.

Lunchtime conversations at Boston Flourish.

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog

Dec 28 2022

He’s Still With You

This Sunday, we are featuring a blog written by Reverend David Wright, Executive Director of BMA TenPoint and former UniteBoston Board President. Read below to hear Rev. David’s word about God’s abiding presence, an encouragement for Christians in Boston in this new year.


“Emmanuel: God With Us” print by Mary Fleeson

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.“
– Isaiah 7:14

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
– Matthew 1:23

When Judah was on the verge of destruction by its enemies God, through the prophet Isaiah, told King Ahaz to ask for a sign that the catastrophe would not happen. King Ahaz refused God’s offer, so Isaiah provided one anyway. Isaiah tells Ahaz –and us– that a virgin will give birth to a Child and His Name will be Immanuel.

As Israel is suffering under the oppression of the Roman Empire, Matthew reminds us of this sign. “God with us;” what an unimaginable prospect! The God Who is so holy, that people couldn’t approach the mountain on which He appeared for fear of death; the Creator of the Universe whose throne was Heaven and who rested His feet on the earth; the God who parted the Red Sea and allowed Israel to walk through on dry land; this same God is “with us!”

John picks up this theme in his Gospel and tells us, in so many words, that God took on flesh and lived among us. In the person of the Son, Jesus Christ, God walked with, talked with, and deeply engaged with us on a personal level. And this all starts with the virgin giving birth to Jesus; it all starts with Christmas.

While all of this is Good News, to be sure, the Greater News is that He is still with us! The Presence of God, through His Holy Spirit, now abides within and among us. No matter if we face the destruction that Israel faced during the time of Ahaz, or the oppression Israel faced in the days of Matthew, God is with us!

None of us have survived the Pandemic years unscathed. The pains and losses we have suffered –individually and collectively—are real. But the promise of God remains sure. He is with us. He has never left us, He has never forsaken us, and He never will! That is the promise of God. That is the beginning of Epiphany.

Whatever you are facing at this moment, whether good or bad, difficult or easy, remember that God is still with us. And no matter what we face, we can be of good courage because the One who is with us has overcome this world!

“All That is Good” Mural by Alex Cook, painted in partnership with The Boston Project Ministries

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog

Dec 09 2022

Together again for NURTURE: UB’s Fundraising Party 2022

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog

Nov 02 2022

Boston Will Flourish When We Journey With Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

In these weeks leading up to Boston Flourish on November 10, we’re featuring the organizations that will be presenting at the conference. This week, we’re featuring the City of Boston’s Office of Returning Citizens. We had the chance to learn more about this ministry from the director of this office David Mayo – Read below to hear about what led him to this work and how they serve returning citizens in our city!


Can you tell us a little bit about your background and your interest in working with returning citizens?

I grew up in a family of five with a single mother in an inner city community of neighborhood crews and gangs in New York City. I then became a “Fatherless Son” and spent five years as a foster child in the New York Child/Family Services system. This led me to have an interest in working with returning citizens, which I began in 2014 as a youthful Parole and Reentry Officer. I felt drawn here by God and the greater opportunity to work with incarcerated young men.

Wow, that’s fascinating. Can you share more about your church background?

I was introduced to church when I was 13 by my Great-Grandmother and found my love for God in the choir. I gave my life to Christ in June of 1990 and was called to preach six months later. I now have over thirty years of ministerial experience, having planted two churches and served as founding and senior pastor of congregations in Northern Virginia and South Carolina.

Can you share about how you serve and support returning citizens in your office?
I have had the privilege of serving in this role for the past three months and it is my job goal to engage, equip and to empower the 3000+ returning citizens of Boston with the tools to create and advocate for their independence and stability in restoring their lives. The Returning Citizen process to reentry begins about 90 days before release in setting up a reentry plan and and discussing next steps. Upon release, we connect returning citizens to resources and programs in the community and monitor their transition with case managers.

David Mayo with some of the men in the reentry program.

What are you hoping to come out of the gathering on November 10?
I’d love to come away with new partners who are passionate and committed to restoring the lives of returning citizens.

Can you share a story about the impact of your work?

We recently had a gentleman who was released into a halfway house. He had no ID, no family, no support and we were able to get him into a housing program. You can also watch Arlis Evans’ story below.

Two days after Arlis Evans was released from incarceration, he met up with the City’s Office of Returning Citizens. This is his story.

What is a resource that everyone should know about?
Our website has a great list of resources that are available for returning citizens – everything from birth certificates, to housing and health services, to transportation and food resources. I wish that everyone knew about it so they can help people they know in the process of reentering back into life in Boston.

Participants in a Don’t Overlook Me Workshop

What does it mean to you to see Boston Flourish?
Seeing Boston Flourish means the destruction of stereotypes and silos for the purpose of unity and the influence of the kingdom of God in the earth. If we seize the moment of this opportunity to walk in the kingdom principles that God offers to us, we have the possibility to affect change, not only in the lives of the Boston community but in the earth completely! Selah!

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog

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