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January 8, 2021 at 1:33 pm in reply to: Boston’s Christian Leaders Respond to Violence at the Capitol #17495unitebostonKeymaster
The violence at the capitol this week has resulted in calls for impeachment and many of President Trump’s administration resigning. This situation reveals underlying cracks in our democracy, growing political tension, discrepancies in policing, and more. Many of those within the mob said, “Jesus is my savior and Trump is my president,” and claimed to be acting out of God’s will. This reveals syncretism of Christianity with nationalism and white supremacy with some of those who attended.
But what are Boston’s Christian leaders saying? Here is a diverse snapshot of responses, taken from public posts on Facebook. We encourage everyone to share and “listen to what the Spirit is saying to the Church right now” (Rev. 2:29), that a collective voice towards gospel justice and truth might come forth.
(Note that the comments below do not necessarily represent the opinions of the congregations and organizations they are affiliated with. We strive to have a diverse collection of viewpoints; email Rev. Kelly kelly@uniteboston.com if there are other voices that should be added to the list.)
Dr. Jacqueline Rivers and Rev. Eugene Rivers are featured in this story covered by NBC Boston about how differently police responded to Trump supporters invading the Capitol compared with Black Lives Matter protests
Rev. Eugene Rivers on the impact of race in the capitol insurrection.
“Catching my breath this Saturday morning, reflecting, praying and processing on the aftermath at the Capitol. I’m feeling that tension of wanting to identify what is broken in hopes of its mending our country and at the same time not want to upset friends and loved ones. My feed is filled with the social media scuffles that follow these cultural moments and really, it saddens me because these are all people I care about. So I lament this and the following:I lament that our current cultural climate leaves us incapable of experiencing a unifying moment. We often talk about how 9-11 was such a catastrophic event that unified the country in the midst of evil tragedy. I don’t know anything that has compared to it since and that was two decades ago and I can’t help but wonder in a polarized and over-politicized society, what can bring us unity?I lament the division that is caused at the mention of Donald Trump’s name. His words and actions incited the riot at the Capitol and the weeks of contesting the election had fueled Wednesday’s events. From years of conversations, I can recognize that there are different types of Trump supporters ranging from those who think he is a legitimate solution to those that held their nose and reluctantly voted for him. There’s so much to say here and that’s the problem – I lament that we often cannot have a civil discourse that critiques the President.I lament the fracturing of truth-telling, the current state of our media outlets, the gaslighting, and the conspiracy theories. It’s more complicated than that but I lament that often when we look at the same event, the narratives, the facts, the details are very different. One can look at a picture of a white supremacist carrying a confederate flag with neo-nazi tattoos having infiltrated the Capitol building and another will read somewhere else that he is ANTIFA and will be convinced. This is incredible to me.I lament the idolatry of Christian nationalism (not to be confused with the actual faith in and the teachings of Jesus) and Trumpism (not to be confused with traditional conservatism. While that can be its own unique idol, I find one more dangerous and more consequential than the other). These idols have mutated in becoming a dangerous and destructive force and it is cancerous to the church. Author Andy Crouch often says, “Every idol is an attempt to gain an edge on the world, to have some leverage over chaos.” To paraphrase Andy, “idols tend to start small and then eventually they take over everything, even our future.” I see and I lament the powerful work of idolatry throughout the Church and throughout our country.I lament any ideology or “-ism” that Christians attach themselves to that then compromises their identity in Jesus and the gospel-centered practices and mission to love God, love their neighbor, pray for their adversary, and join in God’s redemptive work in the midst of this broken world. To be sure, you can find many faithful people who are pursuing this good and needed work but I lament how the “-isms” and ideologies have seduced the church from Jesus’ original intention and mission for his church.This week I have been filled with lament and that these are “our times.” But it’s in the naming of these laments, I also believe that God can make a way through this. The God who sees it all, who knows the truth, who is not hindered by the slants, or agendas, or the falsehoods or the conspiracies or the “-isms”, nor bound by anything else. The gratitude that I can find is that God is with us in “our times.” That’s as sermonic as I can get but make no mistake, it’s one of the greatest truths we can be assured of.I do believe that greater days are ahead, but lament asks us to pause and reflect on the pains we are seeing and experiencing. Often lament points us to prayer, which has a bad reputation these days. I’m not talking about the empty prayers, I’m talking about the powerful prayers that say if God can move the mountains, may the hearts be moved and may the Lord move mine first. This type of prayer can create transformative change. which often points us to repentance, to action, to beautiful moments of awakening that have the potential to usher in a glorious future. I join the many who pray for this and may others do so too.”-Tim Ghali, Pastor of Community Life at Grace Chapel
“Our lamentations are stacked far too high! We lament the violent mob that stormed the capitol with signs bearing Jesus’ Name. We lament the association of your most precious Name with terrorism and treachery. We lament the lies, the violence, the abuses of power, and the loss of life.
We lament the deep division in our hearts, our families, our nation, and your Church. We lament the pain, the fear, the festering wounds. Save us, O God!We lament the adultery of your Church in her pursuit of other lovers
who promise power, safety, elevated status, freedom, and liberty. We lament as a Church complicit with the sins of our nation: white supremacy, racism, Christian nationalism, political idolatry, and all ideologies and actions that stand in opposition to your kingdom, your justice, and your peace. Forgive us, Lord. Uproot and burn away these sins among us and your people.”–Prayer of Lament written by Pastor Justin Ruddy and Kaitlin Ho Givens from Resurrection Church
“I have watched more TV news, on Fox News, CNN, and PBS, over the past 24 hours than ever in recent times. Gail and I have long resisted posting political opinions on Facebook—even as we have read strong, even vicious, attacks on what we hold to be true and decent. Last night, seeing flags for Jesus in the insurrection has called for response from his followers. Now, we, as Christian citizens, sense the need to contribute to what must follow an attack on our democracy. Our hope is for an extraordinary movement of political confession, forgiveness and openness of mind—toward a new era of unity and bipartisan compromise. Such must replace power politics, crowd instigation, and personal political ambition.We, therefore, raise a critical question we think necessary for any evaluation of the President’s instigation of an attack on our Capitol yesterday.Was the President’s call for an attack on our Congress, an aberration from his critical values, instincts, and methodology exhibited these past four years (that is, was it something quite different and separate from his attacks on a free press, on his own intelligent services and justice department)… or… was his instigation of the terrorism, and consequent defense of those who stormed the Capitol building, rather a culmination of whom he is, his core values, instincts and methodology—gradually accentuated throughout his presidency?Because a house divided against itself cannot stand (Jesus and Abraham Lincoln), we Americans face a crossroads. Depending on how we respond to this critical question, we must be prepared to humble ourselves, beg new openness to facts/reality, forgive—and all in the spirit of love—whether Christian or human kindness. In this deep crisis the United States needs light in darkness, peace instead of hostility, truth rather than its alternatives, and above all, love instead of anger or apathy.”-Dean Borgman, Emeritus Professor of Youth Ministry at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and director of the Center for Youth Studies
“Right now, people are confused about what it means to be a Christian. Political parties pander to faith communities – you hear the language of God on the lips of national leaders speaking to both sides with speeches that replace “Jesus” with “Old Glory.” A “Jesus 2020” banner is hung during a siege to our capitol. This is the same syncretism that Paul fiercely renounces, the dangerous mixing of ideologies so your “faith” serves you and your will, not the will of God. This is not political rhetoric that Christians can gloss over. This is nationalistic idolatry, it is blasphemy, and it is evil.
Paul rightly distinguishes between himself and false teachers, just as we must distinguish between faithful Christainity and its perversion through Christian nationalism. The gospel of Jesus is always to be good news to the poor, to the broken-hearted, to those in chains. When it becomes the smug legitimization of injustice for the self-righteous, the proud and the privileged, that is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Holy Spirit, help us to rightly distinguish the true gospel when there are so many false gospels parading around. Grant us strength to follow when we can’t see how you’ll make this all right, when we’re simply so exhausted from all the violence, trauma, death. Teach us to keep sowing seeds of righteousness, justice, and mercy, even though violent storms and preying animals threaten to take all the harvest and we are discouraged. Help us keep on in hope. Lift our weary heads in your tender grace. Amen.
-Kaitlin Ho Givens, Resurrection Church (East Boston)
-Gregg Detweiler, founding director of the Intercultural Ministries program at Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC) in Boston
“This is not a time to double down on our political point of view. It’s a time to be still. It’s a time to pray for peace to prevail and perhaps repent in light of our own complicities in all of this.”
-Pastor Bryan Wilkerson in a video message to the Grace Chapel congregations
“I understand why so many people are upset about what happened in the Capitol last week, but I see this moment as a magnificent opportunity.People keep talking past each other on social media because they have two starkly different stories about our nation, and are unable to see the alternative story. We are working from different “facts”, which makes conversation impossible.In the first story, we were founded as a Christian nation, and though imperfect, have always been a beacon of freedom, democracy and compassion around the world.In the second we were founded by entitled, violent racists who stole land from Native Americans and humans from Africa, whom they forced into labor, raped and murdered. And at the core that is who we still are today.In futility we shout at each other to accept one narrative or the other. But the truth is that neither narrative is complete without the other.It’s true that America was founded by people of Christian faith with virtuous aspirations about democracy and freedom. America has given more money than any other nation to address global poverty and disease. American history is replete with stories of people who were able to rise above the station of their birth, in contrast with many nations where official or unofficial caste systems have boundaries that are far harder to penetrate. America is the rare global empire that had the military power to take over the world by force, but chose not to do so.It is also true that America’s Christian founders were motivated by greed and racism that legitimized cruelty, violence, and theft against Native Americans first and then against Africans, who were officially declared to be less than human in our Constitution, as if that made it acceptable to treat them inhumanely.That same greed and racism continue to shape our national policies to this day. For example, the line connecting violence against Native Americans and slaves to contemporary policing and criminal justice is impossible to deny, as is the line connecting pushing Native Americans off “our” land to more recent red-lining policies that keep Black and Brown Americans out of White neighborhoods. Globally our generosity is muddied by our complicity in propping up murderous dictators because they served our economic interests.America’s virtuous aspirations are real and beautiful, but have been compromised by our readiness to use violence to serve our greed since the very beginning.Why do so many White Americans struggle to see this second narrative despite the overwhelming evidence? One reason, of course, is that we don’t want to because it undermines the pleasant story we tell ourselves about how we earned the privileges we have, and that we, like our forefathers and foremothers, are uniquely virtuous among the nations.The other reason, which does not get enough attention, is that White Americans have been indoctrinated from birth to believe the first narrative and deny the second. Cults and Jihadist recruitment strategies prove just how durable and effective such programming can be. Can we be expected to suddenly open our eyes to reality even while our deeply embedded deception continues to be reinforced in our news echo-chambers? Every subject in school since kindergarten was used to establish the superiority of White culture and American in particular, while assuring us that the vicious Native Americans and lazy African Americans somehow deserved their mistreatment. Indeed, weren’t we kind to give them reservations and emancipation? We called it “education” and “patriotism”, but does being a patriot require denying large parts of your own history?I love my children deeply, but that love does not blind me to their flaws, it compels me to address them in ways that will allow them to flourish and bless others. That often includes confrontation and repentance, but good parenting includes affirming what is good, and correcting what is not – especially when those things harm others. Why is patriotism so different from parenting? Could not love for our country be exactly what compels us to honestly heal our nation rather than blindly defend it?All along complacent White Americans should have been compelled by God’s love to confess these sins, repent, and make restitution. Dr. King was counting on Northern White Chrstians to do this, but overestimated the strength of their piety to overcome their tolerance of a broken system that was serving them pretty well. Their love for those who are different was not as strong as their love for themselves.All this brings me to what happened last week at the Capitol. Most Americans are outraged, as they should be. But I am hopeful.The evil inherent in our system from the beginning has been too easy for White Americans to ignore because it was only threatening other people. But now it is threatening our very system of government and way of life. PERHAPS A PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT SUFFICIENTLY MOTIVATED BY LOVE WILL FINALLY BE ROUSED BY FEAR to do what love always required. It is shameful that it had to come to this, but finally in this moment love for self and love for others may be aligned.Perhaps this will be a moment when we can finally embrace both parts of our story – our noble aspirations and many genuine virtues, as well as our persistent discrimination, violence, greed and sin – so that there can be confession, repentance, restitution and reconciliation.That is my dream for our nation. That would make American great in a way it has never yet been, but has always aspired to be.”-Pastor Dave Swaim, Pastor and President of Highrock Network of ChurchesThe Jesus saves signs among these terrorists are killing me. Please put those away. You are not a good witness for my God and my savior. For those who do not know him, Jesus does indeed save and he does love you. He loves all of us. Even these horrible, horrible humans. But he is not for this, this violence and chaos. This selfishness and greed, He is for love and he is for the vulnerable, the marginalized. I am tired of people using him to prop up this racist, minsogynst violent dangerous nonsense.
-Elizabeth Grady-Harper, Director of the Boston Faith and Justice Network
Stunned in disbelief at news of the violent siege on the US Capitol by rioters on January 6, it was easy to forget what else was happening that day: January 6 was also the Feast of the Epiphany.
Epiphany derives its name from the Greek word for “appearance” (epiphanias). On this day we celebrate that God appeared to us in the flesh in Jesus Christ. He showed up, as Pastor Alissa put it last Sunday. God’s glory was unveiled for us in the face of a little child. And in him we see: God’s nature turns out to be gentleness and mercy. That’s an epiphany if there ever was one! And like the wise men of old, we are humbled by this visitation, brought to our knees in adoration.
So much for Bethlehem. But in DC a different sort of epiphany took place that day. Something else was revealed and laid bare for all to see. I thought it was interesting that the first reaction so many of us had was something like: “This is not us!” or “This is not American!” I get that response, I really do. What we saw there isn’t who we aspire to be. Racist thugs undermining democracy, motivated by vain conspiracies. We want to be better than that as a country.
But are we?
Unfortunately it is not quite accurate to say that “This is not us!” Undoubtedly this is often precisely who we are, if by “us” we mean our country in all its complexity and mixed success at realizing its own high ideals. A country that gave rise to jazz, the light bulb, and the New Deal, that landed on the moon and defeated Hitler — but also a country that protected segregation, encouraged red lining, has started illegal and devastating wars for imperial motives, and in which the rich keep getting richer and the poor poorer. Both of these sides of our history and heritage are “us”.
Much as we would want to, we cannot fully disassociate ourselves from what we saw on Epiphany Day. On some level, all of us who are part of this nation have to own this ugly side of “us”. No matter how opposed to it we may be, it is happening before our eyes, in our time, in our country, with our neighbors.
Not to mention that we as Christians are exposed by this incident in a particular way. Did you see the Bibles? The Jesus signs? Did you hear the confident proclamations of belief in God? The appeal to Christian values in that crowd? Hard as it is for me to say this, but the body of Christ was present there. And we as Christians were being represented by people who claimed the mantle of our Lord’s Gospel as inspiration for their actions.
We might balk at this idea and claim that surely these cannot be true Christians, that their professed faith is a falsification of the Gospel of grace and love. Sure it is. But we don’t get to disentangle ourselves from this quite so easily. When Christians vandalize, harm, incite, or persecute, we have a special responsibility for the sins of our siblings. We cannot deny the overt Christianity of these people anymore than we can absolve the church of the sins of the Crusades. It would be convenient to hide out in a safer and holier corner of the Christian family and shout, “We are not like them! We’re the REAL Christians!” But we are not called as Christians to keep our breeches clean on the side lines. We are called to reckon with the mess of the world, especially if we are implicated in it.
What I’m trying to say is this: On the feast of the Epiphany we celebrate God as the great Revealer — God reveals grace, mercy, and truth in Jesus Christ. But God’s act of revealing is twofold. The Holy Spirit not only reveals God’s glory and grace to us. The Holy Spirit also reveals us and our need. We need that because we’re pretty good at ignoring it. Being uncovered and exposed by the Spirit in this way can be a difficult experience, for individuals and for nations and for churches. But it is a necessary precondition for any kind of healing, growth, or repentance.
Ultimately, the sting of truth is a work of grace. When all is said and done, it is better for such evil to come to light than for it to fester further in obscurity. The epiphany — the broadcasting and revealing — not only of God’s glory but also of our collective and individual sin — is a work of God, a step on the journey toward the renewed world our Savior is forming out of the jagged and twisted mess of this one. And I thank God, not that this happened — but that it happened in full view of the whole world.
Because we know that what was on display on Wednesday was no isolated incident. These tendencies and ideologies and actions have been around for a while. And not only these past four years, either. They go WAY back to the foundation of our country. We’ve just gotten pretty good at sweeping them under the rug.
But only when sins are out in the open, do we get to confess and own them. And when we own them, we get to lament them. And when we lament them, we can renounce them. And then we get to start working on repairing them. Let this new year bring honest confession and the renewal of our common life. Amen.
– Pastor Robin Lutjohann, Faith Lutheran Church
“The beginning of the Prayer of St. Francis is familiar to most of us: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” And it is peace we need in our nation today, united by the common good of our people. The violence witnessed in our nation’s capital yesterday serves only to inflame our divisions and pit citizen against citizen at a time we need to be united. We reject all forms of violence, including the acts of those who stormed our Capitol. We pray for those who lost their lives and for their loved ones and for the injured.We live in a divided nation and the challenges our nation faces are significant.
Our recovery from yesterday’s assault will require the best talents of our civic leaders. Very soon President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris will be sworn in to lead our country. In the spirit of what makes America a beacon of light and democracy for the entire world we must set aside our divisions and together go about the work of helping to lift people out of poverty, healing the sick, welcoming the immigrant and address systemic racism, and many other tasks.
Let us heed the words of St. Francis’ simple prayer: “where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.”
-Cardinal Sean O’Malley
“Lies Have Serious Consequences”
Yesterday Americans and the world watched with horror as a mob, incited by President Donald J. Trump, stormed the Capitol of the United States with Confederate flags and Donald Trump banners. In addition to disrupting the lawful certification of this year’s Presidential election, the mob action led to the death of four people (one woman shot by the Capitol Police and 3 who died from medical emergencies suffered during the riot, according to current news reports) and the injury of a number of law enforcement officers. Despite this, the President said on video to this violent mob “We love you. You’re very special people.” And he said this after repeating the lies associated with his assertion that the election was stolen from him.
We call this assertion a lie, not because Democrats say it is untruthful, but because the President’s own appointees (Attorney General William Barr and Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Christopher C. Krebs), Republican governors and election officials across the nation, and Republican-appointed judges (including Supreme Court justices appointed by this President) have said that his statements are without evidence, at best, and untruthful, at worst. As we learned tragically yesterday, lies have serious consequences.
In light of all that’s happened we are asking:
1. That we offer our prayers and support to the four families that have lost loved ones in this wholly tragic and entirely avoidable assault on democracy and the rule of law.
2. That the President be held fully accountable for his part in inciting a riot/insurrection that led to the loss of life, the destruction of property, and the disruption of our democratic process.
3. That any and all members of the violent mob be identified, arrested and prosecuted.
4. That pastors and laypeople—Black, Latinx, and especially white evangelicals—who have echoed or remained silent about this President’s current or past lies and incitements, examine their own complicity and repent.
5. That Trump supporters, and especially Republican politicians who have supported or failed to speak out against this President’s lies and incitements, examine their complicity and be held accountable by their constituents.
6. That the law enforcement response to yesterday’s mob violence be investigated to see why it appears that the level of preparedness for and response to this mob action were quite different from what happened during Black Lives Matter marches in Washington, DC and across the nation.
7. That we fast and pray for a country so deeply divided that it can’t even unite to fight a viral pandemic.
Ours is a nation born with ideals of liberty and equality, even as its history has also been a tale of slavery, segregation, and continuing inequality and inequity. Yesterday’s mob action was another sordid episode in that history. In the wake of that episode, perhaps the hardest question for all of us to address is, “What kind of nation are we, if this is the kind of leadership we’ve chosen and supported?” We may not know the full answer to that question for some time, but this much we painfully learned yet again yesterday—lies have serious consequences.
-Pastor Ray and Gloria Hammond, Bethel AME Church
“The events in the news continue to call to our consciousness the division, hatred, and brokenness in our nation. If they’ve left you shaken, angry, or hurt, we are praying for you and want to hear how we can love you right now. Our just Heavenly Father, who promises justice and extends grace, is a refuge to us in times of turmoil. Psalm 46 says,“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.”
MY HEART IS BROKEN TODAYIn January 2009, I was living and working in Sudan. To extend hospitality to Sudanese and other Africans — to make friends — my family hosted a party to celebrate the improbable, historic election of Barack Obama. Our new friends watched in jaw-dropped amazement, the presidential inauguration on live TV — Yo-Yo Ma playing cello (if memory serves), Aretha Franklin singing “My County, ’Tis of Thee”… But their greatest amazement, was not at the beautiful colors and glitz — but at the simple sight of outgoing President Bush shaking hands and smiling at the incoming President Obama…I’ve never been a big flag-waver. Some are “proud” to be an American; I’m simply grateful, humbled that God chose to birth me here, sometimes scared of the awesome responsibility. But in that moment in 2009 — as my African friends laughed in protest, not comprehending what their own eyes were seeing — I couldn’t have felt more proud. “No way! This is CRAZY!” they laughed, stunned with joy and disbelief. “How can this be happening?! Haha! No, No! THIS can NEVER happen in Sudan! Haha! Seriously, how is that man shaking the hand of the other man — the Black man! — who has taken his position?!!”They knew the men were “Bush” and “Obama” — that wasn’t the point. The peaceful, orderly, and even joyous transition of government — they had literally never seen anything like it. It had never happened in their lifetime, so it was absurd to them. (The developing world doesn’t typically pay a lot of attention to American politics.)That was MY country on the TV — still racist, chauvinist, materialist, murderously colonialist, tacky, etc. — that was my country putting forth its Dream, its Aspiration, not so much as a model for the world, but as a beacon to Possibility, with music, and community, etc.So now today, watching American citizens take up arms in this Capitol building… I just can’t believe it. What kind of American leader doesn’t stand up immediately to tell his followers No? And what kind of people would follow, or even countenance, such a leader? And “How long O God, will the wicked prosper?”(For those still sleeping in the back: Imagine a sea of Black people [EDIT: or Brown, or Yellow, or Red people] swarming a Capitol building, some presumably armed — do you have any doubt what would happen? Do you still deny white privilege?)– Tom Baskett, Music Director at Highrock Covenant Church
“Wednesday’s violence in our Capitol took place on January 6th. In some parts of the Christian world, that is Christmas. In others, it is Three Kings Day. And in many, it is called Epiphany, the day of God’s appearing. All of this Christmas season celebration that traditionally culminates on this day is about revelation. God reveals the depth of God’s love and solidarity with humanity by becoming one of us. The Magi reveal the deep significance of Jesus by worshipping him as a king. Among the other things that happened on Wednesday is that more of the troubled and violent fabric of our nation and ourselves has been revealed. We are a violent nation. We are a racist nation. We are a troubled nation. We aren’t only these things, of course. We are more than that. Yet we are still these things. The worst aspects of this country’s founding sins of racism and violence still trouble us deeply.
All of these troubles are of course so large, much bigger than any one person or any one church. If you need to take a break from the news or just rest or hydrate or take a walk or call a friend, do all those things. Additionally, let’s join together in praying for a peaceful transition of power this month in our nation. Let’s also pray for this country, whether we are citizens or residents or just passing through. America still needs deep movements of repentance, reconciliation, and healing. And let’s redouble our efforts locally to form a community of love and justice and renewal, a church that bears witness to good news of the love of Jesus, the gift of community, and the joy of living for all people. Let us be and grow the Beloved Community among us, in hopes and prayers that God will empower much larger efforts to do the same across this nation and world.”
-Pastor Steve Watson, in a statement to his congregation Reservoir Church
Woe to youRed, white, and blueGallows say it plainIn Trump and Jesus’ name?I retchOh Lord, how long?A moanful songBlood-soaked soil retching tooAnd sandstoneIn the memoryWhose sweat in quarryDripped and mingledTo buildThis defenseless HillSand and soil,Grievance airers,Witness bearersThe wind, a victim tooIn this red, white, and blueObliging law of nature,Complicit, in shameTo wave such bitter flagsShe’ll carry the song,Make her position knownAnd meWoe, if I don’t speakMoment of silence,YesThough soulful bluesEmergeA choir of voicesLong ago voices,And yesterday’sAnd tomorrow’sSinging funeral dirge-Lauren Paz Becker, Associate Dean for Spiritual Formation at Gordon College and member of West Church in Haverhill, MA
Today, I’m praying for:– Safety for all those at the Capitol—law enforcement, gov workers, and others– Comfort for family and friends of those killed and healing for any wounded– Orderly transition of power that will be peaceful from now onBut I’m also praying for:– The dark forces of white nationalism, including white Christian nationalism, that inspired this occupation to be exposed, defeated, and repented of.– Racism to be exposed, defeated, and repented of. If the people storming the Capitol were black, would they have gotten inside so easily? The disparity between how white protestors were treated here and black protesters were treated at BLM protests this summer reveals the continuing racism in this country.– For me and other white Christians to be more courageous in speaking out against white (Christian) nationalism and racism, and to have humility to repent for our complicity, including our silence.Lord, in your mercy,hear our prayer.-Jeff Banks, director of Harvard Graduate School Christian Fellowship (Intervarsity)
“Allegedly, today’s “Save America March” was all about election integrity. But did you notice the confederate flags, supremacist symbols, and even the full-on gallows?!Back when I was aiming for colorblind, I might’ve struggled to square these racist symbols with the context. But what they make transparent is that today’s riot is meaningfully (if not exclusively) about race. It’s the last, grasping protest of a white fraternity that senses its power is slipping away.Earlier today, President-elect Joe Biden said, today’s riot is not a true reflection of America and does “not represent who we are.” Aspirationally, I can appreciate Biden’s point, but historically he’s wrong.It’s always been this way. When the abolitionist movement threatened to undercut the status quo, Southern States started a war to defend their power to treat Africans as chattel. When over 1500 blacks were elected to public office during reconstruction, whites used fraud, poll taxes, and the lynching tree to maintain their racial dominance. When blacks began to develop status and wealth in 19th century Wilmington, a white mob murdered hundreds of black residents and a coup deposed the duly elected government to establish a segregationist regime. When Jim Crow segregation failed to adequately depress black residents of 20th century Tulsa, white mobs murdered hundreds and burned blocks of real estate to the ground. When the United States elected it’s first black President, Donald Trump launched his political career with the birther conspiracy, claiming our first African-American president was not a genuine American. Over the past four years we’ve heard him talk about Mexicans being rapists, about “shithole countries,” tacitly endorse white supremacist groups (“very fine people on both sides”), telling an African-American congresswoman to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came,” and just this week demanding officials cow to him to fraudulently “find” ballots and help him steal the election. On the cusp of this racist regime being finally deposed (and a new administration featuring a black women), it’s hardly surprising that this is what whiteness produces.Call me naive, but I’m still hopeful for America. Earlier today, newly elected Senator Raphael Warnock said, “Because this is America, the 82-year-old hands that used to pick somebody else’s cotton went to the polls and picked her youngest son to be a United States senator.” America is a paradox; perhaps it’s just when the moral arc is bending toward justice that evil rears its ugly head.Whatever our politics, the quest for a just and equitable union demands we come together to repudiate this damnable display of racism… Despite some embarrassing crosses and Jesus banners present at the Capitol, what we’re seeing in Washington today (and most days) is pretty much the polar opposite of everything the guy who sacrificed his life to make peace with his enemies was all about.”-Josh Wilson, Pastor of The Table
And a classic Christian author, Henri Nouwen:
One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that its leaders constantly gave in to the temptation of power—political power, military power, economic power, or moral and spiritual power—even though they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not cling to his divine power but emptied himself and became as we are [Philippians 2:5-11].
The temptation to consider power an apt instrument for the proclamation of the Gospel is the greatest of all. We keep hearing from others, as well as saying to ourselves, that having power—provided it is used in the service of God and your fellow human beings—is a good thing. With this rationalization, crusades took place; inquisitions were organized; Indians were enslaved; positions of great influence were desired; episcopal palaces, splendid cathedrals, and opulent seminaries were built; and much moral manipulation of conscience was engaged in. Every time we see a major crisis in the history of the Church such as the Great Schism of the eleventh century, the Reformation of the sixteenth century, or the immense secularization of the twentieth century, we always see that a major cause of rupture is the power exercised by those who claim to be followers of the poor and powerless Jesus.
What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to won life than to love life. Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” We ask, “Can we sit at your right hand and your left hand in your Kingdom?” (Matthew 20:21). Ever since the snake said, “The day you eat of this tree your eyes will be open and you will be like gods, knowing good from evil” (Genesis 3:5), we have been tempted to replace love with power. Jesus lived that temptation in the most agonizing way from the desert to the cross.
The long painful history of the Church is the history of people ever and again tempted to choose power over love, control over the cross, being a leader over being led. Those who resisted this temptation to the end and thereby give us hope are the true saints. One thing is clear to me: the temptation of power is greatest when intimacy is a threat. Much Christian leadership is exercised by people who do not know how to develop healthy, intimate relationships and have opted for power and control instead. Many Christian empire-builders have been people unable to give and receive love.
Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus, pages 57-60
unitebostonKeymasterLooking for a new wall hanging? Now that we’re spending more time at home in the pandemic, this is a great time to spruce up your home. Buying a canvas print from UniteBoston will give you a visual reminder of unity, faith, and resilience in these challenging times.
How it works:
Below are low-resolution photo versions of the prints we can make on either canvas or metal. Fill out this form indicating which print you would like and the size, and pay via Paypal or check here. We’ll order it through a printer and have it shipped straight to you.
Note that the costs below are for standard shipping; for rushed orders there will be an extra charge. All proceeds go to support our church-uniting, bridge-building work!
Costs for Canvas Prints
12″ x 16″ = $40
16″ x 20″ = $50
20″ x 30″ = $65
36″ x 24″ = $75
30″ x 40″ = $90*For metal prints, add $10
*Cost for digital image – $50 each. We will send you the high resolution graphic for you to use personally, or for marketing materials for your business or organization.
November 28, 2020 at 7:25 am in reply to: Faith & Politics: Boston’s Christian Leaders Speak Out #17369unitebostonKeymasterThe months leading up to the election have been intense, and Pew Research has pointed out that the alignment of ideology, race and religion makes America’s divisions run deeper. But how have Boston’s Christian leaders responded? Today we want to highlight a variety of sermons and seminars that address the intersection of the Christian faith & politics.
(Note: This is a partial list and we’re always looking for more great resources; if you have a suggestion of one to add, email Kelly at kelly@uniteboston.com!)
National Conversations on Civic Engagement / Faith & Politics
unitebostonKeymasterToday, we are excited to share about a new book entitled “CityFaith: Following Jesus in Expensive, Transient, Secular Places” written by Jared Kirk, pastor of Renewal Church in the Back Bay. In it, Pastor Jared shares his wisdom on topics such as living generously when housing is expensive, building healthy life-long relationships, and navigating singleness so that the city can be a place of spiritual growth and renewal. Jared is also an Eagle Scout with a degree in Biomedical Engineering, and you can find him around the city sailing, teaching, writing, drinking coffee, and searching endlessly for decent Mexican food. Below is the excerpt from the book about the fruit that emerged as the Rabens family committed to a church community from the get-go: a powerful story to combat the transience that is so common in cities. If you like what you read, you can purchase the book here!
Book Excerpt from City Faith Chapter 4, Decide to Make a Difference
The city isn’t just for young people looking to advance in their careers nor is it mostly single-again people living near the action. Cities pick up everyone, and one of our most interesting families was the Rabens family.
Clay was an active-duty doctor for the Army. He found himself in the city because the military was sending him to Harvard School of Public Health. If you weren’t aware that the Army sent people to Harvard, then welcome to the club.
When Clay walked in the door of our church, he came with his two amazing teenage daughters, Madison and Jocelyn. Those two girls were godly, mature, and hard workers. They grew our youth ministry from zero to two. If you’re good at math you know that is infinity percent growth. By percentage, in my opinion, we were the fastest growing youth ministry in the universe.
Even more impressive than his daughters was his wife, Brittany. She was a force of nature who could organize and improve the second coming of Jesus. Her passion for Jesus was off the charts, and when you met her, you instantly liked her. Within a day, you knew she was probably a better leader than you. She was that good.
When you are a Harvard educated army doctor who is the fourth most impressive person in your family, that’s really saying something.
What we learned from the Rabens family is the impact you can have when you decide to make a difference from day one. Because they were military, they already knew what so many in the city take too long to learn: if you’ve only got a year or two, then you need to invest from day one, otherwise you will miss out on the meaningful relationships or the impact you would have had.
The second week they came, the Rabens joined our church as members. A month later, Brittany was leading the outreach ministry to Mary Ellen McCormack, the largest, low-income housing development in the city. Within a few months, she was leading a small group with a mix of church attenders and housing development residents. By the end of the year, one of our friends from Mary Ellen McCormack was baptized in a repurposed horse trough in a one hundred-year-old high school because of Brittany’s influence in her life.
It would have been so easy for the Rabens to coast for the one year they lived in Boston. There were good reasons to just wait and join a church when they moved away to Ohio, or they could have visited six other city churches before they made a decision on where to worship. Our church wasn’t a great fit for them demographically. I mean, we didn’t even have one other teenager. Yet Clay and Brittany learned something from the Army that can benefit every person who ever moves to a city: when time is limited “good enough” is good enough. Find a place where you can make an impact and throw yourself into it because you might change someone’s eternity, like the Rabens did.
You have the same choice to make. You can wait for the “perfect” church, you can coast until you move somewhere more permanent, or you can decide to invest right now, right where you are, and make a difference. I’m not talking about going to a church that teaches heresy or not caring about doctrine. I’m talking about dialing down the “picky-meter” for the sake of making an impact.
BARRIERS TO SERVICE
Three of the most common barriers to serving in the city are the overwhelming need outside of the church, narcissism inside the church, and good old-fashioned scheduling.
One reason people don’t jump in and make a difference at their church is because there is an overwhelming need for people to serve outside the church. Socially conscious companies have volunteer programs, boys and girls clubs need mentors, the Red Cross needs workers, and the city sponsors trash cleanup day. Those things are good, and we do all those things, but they are no substitute for loving God’s people.
Another reason people don’t serve in the city is a little embarrassing, but it’s true. Narcissism is rampant in the city. Image matters, and people strive to be seen on social media as serving, but when it gets hard, people leave off from helping. We once had a person stop serving because they were asked to stop taking selfies while they were greeting guests. They were so offended they quit!
Narcissism used to be called vanity, which is excessive pride in one’s appearance or accomplishments. You’ve never run into anyone like that in the city, have you? The real danger of vanity is that you are so busy looking in the mirror that you can’t see yourself clearly. Jeremiah 4:30 (NIV) talks about the dynamics of narcissism:
“Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why highlight your eyes with makeup? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you.”
The way narcissism works is that you spend all your money to look nice on the outside, to cover your insecurities on the inside, and to impress people that don’t even like you.
However, the number one reason people don’t get in the game right away and start making an impact is that they are overscheduled. In the suburbs, this tends to manifest through kids’ sports, but in the city, it shows up in overscheduled social commitments, non-stop recreational activities, or an unhealthy rhythm of work and rest. Maybe you are overscheduling yourself because you don’t know how to be alone with Jesus or with yourself. Maybe you can’t stop working because your achievements are your life; they are how you justify your existence.
The beautiful thing about following Jesus is that He sets you free from all of this. Trusting in His wise leadership of the world lets you place your desperate needs at His feet. Trusting in His love for you can heal the wound that causes vanity to spring forth. Jesus justifies you with His blood so that you don’t have to try to justify yourself with your accomplishments. Jesus once said, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30 NIV) and He meant it. When you follow Him, you can relax and slow down enough to care for and serve the people in your life. You can make a difference because of the difference Jesus has made in you.
November 13, 2020 at 5:16 pm in reply to: Impacting the Digital Divide for Boston’s Most Vulnerable Students #17304unitebostonKeymasterOur blogger this week is Pastor Sam Acevedo from Congregation Lion of Judah. Sam Acevedo is the Executive Director of the Boston Higher Education Resource Center (HERC) since its founding in 1999. He also serves as one of the founding Co-Chairs of the Boston School Committee’s Opportunity and Achievement Gap Task Force. Today, Pastor Sam shares about the need to prayerfully repent and act to change the “Digital Divide” on behalf of our city’s most vulnerable children.
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. James 4:17 (ESV)
Sometimes it takes a crisis to inspire us to do what we ought to have done all along. To do what was always within our power to do, but we lacked the will to do. And it often takes an arc of years – decades, even generations – to appreciate the depth and devastation of what the ancients called our “sins of omission”. Our “Lord, I should have . . .” sins.
Take, for instance, the “Digital Divide”. The first time I heard that term was at a conference in Worcester some 17 years ago. It was becoming evident that lack of access to data, and the technology that transmitted that data (personal computers and broadband), was opening a new and alarming gap in racial equity and economic opportunity; and that this “divide” threatened most devastatingly the children and youth of black and Latino households. In the room, and at the podium, was a sampling of those who would arguably play an influential role in closing that divide: people in philanthropy; elected officials; corporate, non-profit, and academic leaders. “We should do something about this,” they all concluded with great urgency, before we adjourned and went home. But as late as last March 2020 – as school buildings closed in response to the global pandemic, hurtling 50,000 BPS children into compulsory “remote learning” – 1 in 3 Black and Latino households in America still lacked access to computers and broadband.
What to do? Within two weeks of the school closures, Boston Public Schools was distributing 20,000 new Chromebooks to home-bound students of color throughout Boston. Another 10,000 Chromebooks went out to BPS families this Fall. No internet access? Portable “hotspots” suddenly appeared in homes with no previous wireless access; cable companies, sounding magnanimous, waved contract fees and other barriers to connectivity. Eureka. A yawning “Digital Divide” – that everyone was aware had persisted for decades – was being bridged, seemingly overnight. But where did all this stuff come from? And why did it take so long? And why did it take this – a global pandemic – to address it?
Now take Exam School admissions . . . It is axiomatic that black, Latino, and other students of color are woefully underrepresented among those enrolled in BPS’ elite schools. It is so axiomatic that for generations – easily over 100 years – there has been one attempt or another to see more children of color enrolled in Boston’s top-shelf public schools, but little has ever changed. It is, in fact, so axiomatic that eight years ago, when the organization I run – the Boston Higher Education Resource Center (HERC) – began sending Coaches into BPS classrooms to pave a path to college for first-generation BPS youth, we made a conscious decision to focus on “non-exam” high schools: 82% of Black and Latino kids attend a school other than an Exam School, we reasoned – and the few who did make it into an Exam School would be “fine”.
So I was bewildered when God – and I am now quite convinced it was God – had me serving this summer on the Exam School Working Group, convened to do two things: (1) figure out how to do “Exam School” admissions in a year beset by interrupted learning, and where having masses of children sitting for an actual “exam” would be unwise; and (2) figure out, if possible, how to see more students of color admitted to BPS’ elite schools. For six weeks, four hours a week, we poured over the data. As we did, I sensed the Holy Spirit confronting me and convicting me, deeply. The data shook what we knew, or thought we knew, about our black, Latino, and other historically-marginalized children, and their path to Boston’s Exam Schools. A path, we saw, that was laden with disheartening obstacles as early as third grade. “No wonder – why hasn’t anyone seen this before now?” That data was telling us, as our hearts sank, that there would be no magic bullet, no quick fix. We did what we could to recommend a path forward for the 1,100 children seeking admission to our Exam Schools in the wake of a global pandemic. And we steeled ourselves for the long, and difficult, work of ending generations of inequity keeping our black and Brown children from the best education BPS has to offer.
It can be done. That is the good news. It’s just going to take time. And the will to do it.
The COVID-19 crisis has shone a glaring beam of inescapable truth, exposing these long-ignored inequities to the surface, and eliminating “inaction” as an option. It is just like God – the Defender of the powerless, the Voice of the voiceless – to do that. “Now, you must see; now, you must mourn,” the Lord seems to be saying, “Now, you must act.” As a community we can celebrate that, after decades, we are finding the way, the means, and the will, to do or at least begin to do, for our most vulnerable children, what we long ago should have done. But we must also stand, in community repentance, for the countless generations of children whose lives might have turned out very differently, if we had done far sooner what a crisis is compelling us to do now.
Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. The “Lord, I should have . . .” sins are often the hardest to identify, and repent of, and confess. As a community. And as individuals who will stand before the eyes of a holy God who sees into our hearts. It is a wonderful act of grace that the Lord should reveal to us, and entrust us with, “the right thing to do”. May He add to that, the grace to actually do it.
Prayer: Lord we bring to you our “I should have . . . “ sins. Ours, and the “I should have . . . “ sins of our people. We love our children, God, especially those who face seemingly insuperable hurdles to endure, to overcome, and to succeed. And we thank you for the treasures you have bestowed on this community – the teachers, the administrators, those in government, those in philanthropy, those in academia, those in ministry, those who lead schools, those who lead businesses, those who lead churches – everything and everyone needed to execute the desires of your Heart, and to see your will done on earth as it is in Heaven. Bless the children of Boston Public Schools. And give us the means – and the will – to bless them, as well.
More on Supporting Urban Schools
The Boston Education Collaborative is currently recruiting volunteers to remotely help teachers with their Zoom classes as well as tutoring in after school/before school programs – They are currently at 1/5 of the way of their goal to get 150 volunteers! More info here.
“Behold, I am Doing A New Thing” – a blog written by Ruth Wong about how God has been at work through the pandemic in nurturing new collaborations between churches and city institutions.
“The Church and the Village: The Value of Church/School Partnerships” – a blog written by Pastor Barry Kang about the value of churches supporting schools.
October 23, 2020 at 11:33 am in reply to: Jesus’ Call to Love Our Enemies (Yes, even our political enemy!) #17251unitebostonKeymaster“In our current society, people who disagree with you about issues in life, especially political ones, are often regarded as “enemies”. This is unhealthy for our nation in general, and it is especially so for our spiritual lives. As followers of Christ, we cannot view others as enemies!”
-Pastor Dave Hill, Abundant Grace ChurchToday, we want to share a devotional by Pastor Dave Hill from Abundant Grace Church in Brighton. He encourages us to consider our heart postures towards one another and those we consider as our “enemies.” Pastor Dave also shares a personal example of how he has engaged in conversation and listening across deep political divides with other pastors. This is a crucial message in a time of great division and political animosity to embrace a lifestyle of reconciliation.
Today I would like to look again at Luke 6, verses 27-29a: “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also….”.
These are some of Jesus’ hardest instructions–love your enemies and do good to those who hate and hurt you. This is completely counterintuitive and unnatural. It goes against our natural instincts to defend ourselves and to retaliate.
In our current society, people who disagree with you about issues in life, especially political ones, are often regarded as “enemies”. This is unhealthy for our nation in general, and it is especially so for our spiritual lives. As followers of Christ, we cannot view others as enemies! We must learn to love them and to pray for them. While dying on the cross Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) His Spirit lives in you, and you must crucify your flesh and allow the Spirit to control your thoughts and actions.
Martin Luther King Jr. said this: “Love is the only force capable of turning an enemy into a friend.” Representative John Lewis, who recently went home to be with the Lord, related how those involved in the struggle for civil rights chose to see their struggle as one against an unjust system, not against people. “We wanted to win them over. We saw them as our brothers.” Wow, and amen!
This was spoken about people who were cursing them, beating them and jailing them. Most of us do not have hurdles nearly that high in loving our enemies. Let us take this to heart and seek the Lord.
Do not make the serious error of thinking of others “who need to hear this message”. You and I need to hear it. Are you offended with someone? Posting things online that dishonor Jesus? Avoiding someone because you simply do not like them? Entertaining mean thoughts towards another?
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them… But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be childrenof the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked”(Luke 6:32&35, NIV). We are privileged to be called children of the Most High, and we must make every effort to live up to that high calling.
Here is a way to put into practice what Jesus taught during this election: ask someone you think or know does not share your political views why they are voting for president the way they are. You will probably find that they have solid thoughtful reasons for why they vote as they do. As believers, we must realize that there are other believers who love Jesus and believe in the Bible just as much as we do who will vote for someone we don’t like. Seeking to listen rather than to judge honors Jesus. You may not become convinced of their position, but it will help you get over viewing them as an “enemy”. We are required by our Lord to love each other!
I pray with a dozen or so other pastors every Wednesday via Zoom. With all that has gone one with racial issues and politics we decided to stay on for an hour once a month to hear each other’s perspectives on these issues. We are a diverse group with whites, Asian Americans and African Americans. One of the African American pastors, simply being honest, asked, “Can one of you explain to me why white Evangelicals like President Trump?” That is being bold and blunt, which is what we need. Because we all love and respect each other, he could ask that kind of question and we discussed it at length. It was both informative and edifying. It strengthened our relationships. You actually will find yourself feeling closer to someone when you are willing to discuss a controversial subject in love. That is what we did, and I hope you can be blessed by doing the same.
Father, I know these words of Jesus are true, but they daunt me. Yet today I choose to humble myself and repent of evil thoughts, nursing grudges, proud put downs and viewing anyone as an enemy. I want to be like You! Please create in me a clean heart that is kind to the ungrateful and loves those who do not love me. I need Your help. I want to be free. Thank you that what is impossible for me is possible with You. For Your mercy and transforming grace I am truly grateful. Amen.
Other Great Resources
Red & Blue Guide by Essential Partners, which offers great tips in how to engage in conversations with those of differing political viewpoints.
Guide to Election Preparedness, put together by the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston & Boston Ten Point Coalition, Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, and the Massachusetts Council of Churches
AllSides.com, which “strengthens our democratic society with balanced news, diverse perspectives, and real conversation. We expose people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other.”
Research and Tips for Church Leaders for Navigating Election Season – from Barna
unitebostonKeymaster“We deliberately sought to understand the histories of these countries. We wanted to help heal the fears that divide us from these resilient people. We hoped our style of travel could demonstrate that a real God exists who can be relied on in even the harshest insecurities.”
This week, we want to feature a blog written by Roger and Claire Dewey, who recently published a book based on their four-month ‘walk’ through Central America and Cuba. Roger was called in 1968 to work against the racism in the Church, founding Christians for Urban Justice. Claire joined him in 1977, teaching in the public schools and raising their family in Dorchester, where they still live. They are members of Reservoir Church in Cambridge, and all profits from their book entitled “We’re Lost. This Must Be the Way” will go to those in Central America who shared their stories of hope and resilience.
Today we’d like to share the spiritual thinking behind our four-month ‘walk’ through Central America and Cuba. It was not to be a vacation. Instead, we wanted to explore the fears that divide so many of us from these resilient people. And it was largely unplanned—most nights, to find where to stay, we listened for “nudges” from God, while trying to understand the stories being lived all around us. We wanted our style of travel to demonstrate that a God exists who we actually can rely on in even the harshest insecurities.
Since our Mexican honeymoon 40 years earlier, we’d been in Latin America many times. We’d driven a rental car all around Guatemala with our children, scouted sites in Honduras for possible retirement, and visited friends throughout the region who are missionaries. Those countries have long been places of joy and adventure, and a resource for spiritual growth.
But we’ve watched their people become objects of fear for many Americans. It is sad to see those we love mischaracterized, those who welcome us into their homes fearfully excluded and humiliated. We feel God’s deep sorrow over our political division from so many members of Christ’s Body.
Before we left Boston, our plumber Mario, a humble believer from El Salvador, became unusually loquacious. “When you go” he said, “listen to what they have. They have what we here do not have, what we are losing in the shadows. They want what we have, but here we are under pressure to keep moving. The communication between us is what is important, not the work we do. That communication is love. So you go to another country, and see what they have that we need, and bring it back to us. Because we really need what they have.”
Though we both grew up as evangelicals, we are disturbed by today’s divisive Christianity, bothered by our religion’s search for security and power through the control of culture. Can’t our daily fears and anxiety actually be overcome by the God who walks with us?
We perceived our journey as a practical exploration of life as a non-programmed walk with God. When lost we listened hard, looking for some hint of guidance. We were not always sure this trust was appropriate, or what, if anything, we heard. This “listening” is not very specific; it’s like learning piano by ear instead of reading music.
A tightly planned trip would never have allowed us to discover the huge diversity of those we met, and then see them through God’s eyes. Like Eduardo, who once had a small but successful carpentry business in Guatemala. One by one, four of his brothers were killed as a result of extortion gone bad. He saw the caravans as his ticket to life and hope for him and his family. We heard from several missionaries that the ‘border invasion’ is mostly children of families like those they know, desperate to avoid being killed or trapped in the gangs.
On a tightly planned trip, we would never have visited the garbage dump in Guatemala City where 3,000 human beings live and work, scavenging trash, surrounded by muck and garbage. Many are Maya Indians who fled there for safety when their government burned and demolished 600 villages. For many, Jesus is their only trusted companion.
A Honduran woman told us her younger brother foolishly stole a bike, then learned it belonged to the son of a drug lord. He received death threats. His family raised money to help him escape to the U.S. She was proud of her brother, but talking about him made her depressed. “When everything goes wrong,” she said, “we can’t afford to be lamenting our situation if we don’t go ahead with the help of God. He is the only one who holds out an extended hand.”
We frequently felt lost. We lived a bit like strangers and immigrants, forced to play a game without knowing the rules. Change was constant. Yet our total insecurity, it turned out, was one of the best experiences of all. We gained empathy from generous families with virtually nothing. And we repeatedly sought Jesus’ counsel for loving those whose needs we could not meet, and loving the politicians who were part of their problems. Again and again, we experienced the security of God’s presence.
Near the end of our journey, we struggled to understand the complexity of Cuba. Easter Sunday, in Havana’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, we met 85-year-old Raul. In 1961, at the time of the U.S. sponsored invasion by Cuban exiles, he had been a Southern Baptist seminarian. He became a medic, and was wounded while defending his country. As a pastor in the ‘80s he led the Cuban Ecumenical Council, and in 1993 became the first Christian elected to the Cuban government. He wrote Martin Luther King Jr. for advice for living faithfully under a difficult government. He founded the MLK Center in Havana, and recounted his decades of struggle to live in the space between the goals of socialism and Jesus’ life of siding with the poor. We recorded our experiences each day, and compiled this record of our journey with a loving God, perhaps suggesting a way forward for Christians in our current troubled world. All profits will go to the whole-hearted people who opened to us their homes, their lives, and their wisdom. We think you will be encouraged by their simple stories of hope and resilience – you can click here to purchase the book.
unitebostonKeymaster“I remember feeling grateful for all my blessings, but sickened by the inequities around us and empowered to make an effort to do something more….It is my sincere prayer that this song will both entertain and inspire everyone who hears it, to do more, for those who are less fortunate.”
This week, we want to feature a song co-written by Issa Bibbins, who is a pianist, rapper and content curator and former minister of music at Roxbury Presbyterian Church. “Where Do We Go” is the sixth release on the Treatment Project. This song addresses homelessness and how a lack of empathy, greed, and indifference perpetuate this growing problem. As COVID-19 has furthered economic inequities in Boston, this is a timely and crucial message for contemplation and action – Watch his video below!
Issa describes: “This song started from a conversation with producer, singer, and long time collaborator Sam Jones about two months ago. I had just released the fifth song on The Treatment Project, titled ‘Superhuman DNA,’ and I reached out to Sam about producing the next song on the project. I remember spending a few minutes talking about music, and the conversation shifting from music business, to friends checking in about life. We spoke about the changing responsibilities we both have, as ministers of music at Roxbury Presbyterian Church and New Hope Baptist Church. We discussed COVID-19 and how it has impacted live performance opportunities for musicians in the city. As we all have faced uncertainty during these complex times, it is interesting how vulnerability can give way to both fear and anxiety but also serve as a unique tool to inspire empathy for those who are less fortunate.
A few days later, Sam sent me a rough draft of the composition. It was as if divine inspiration was deposited into my consciousness as soon as I heard the first measure. The song literally wrote itself! My heart erupted with so much emotion, I finishing writing the first verse in less than twenty minutes. I remember feeling grateful for all my blessings, but sickened by the inequities around us and empowered to make an effort to do something more. Sam called artist “ItsyourboyKR”, and I called good friend and artist Abria Smith, and they masterfully brought completion to this piece of art. I had the privilege to volunteer with my daughter at the Friday Cafe at First Church in Cambridge to take an extra step in fulfilling this call to do more, which came as a result of this collaborative experience. It is my sincere prayer that this song will both entertain and inspire everyone who hears it, to do more, for those who are less fortunate.
To watch other videos from the Treatment Project, check out Issa Bibbins’ Youtube channel here. Also, you can learn more about Issa Bibbins music ministry at pearlfortheworld.com
unitebostonKeymasterThe incredible music that was produced at the Love Boston concert can be re-watched while you’re at work, cooking, or doing chores around the house!
On September 12, 2020 UniteBoston released our concert premiere entitled “Love Boston.” Amidst the challenges of today’s public health crisis and racial injustices, seven local Christian artists representing hip-hop, worship, soul, spoken word, and gospel genres united to share original artistic responses to the challenges we are facing as a city and nation. They challenged people to “love thy neighbor,” and inspired us in the action steps we can take forward together in this unprecedented cultural moment.
Featured artists include: Caleb McCoy, Shanell Alyssa, Ada Betsabè, Jen Aldana, Jeany Alcántara, Fugi, and Jalen Williams. Click here to meet the artists! Now more than ever, our souls need beauty and art that moves us toward faith, justice, and resilience, loving our neighbor, and toward Jesus in worship! Click on the artist names above to follow them & listen to more music by them!
We also had a variety of viewing parties take place throughout the city – Here was the Dorchester backyard viewing party! You can’t see it, but we are smiling behind these masks! While we missed having the opportunity to worship together physically in the Boston Common, the beauty of this year’s worship event is that all of the videos can be re-watched and shared. You can watch it while cooking, working from home, doing the dishes or folding the laundry, walking in the park, commuting on the subway, the list goes on and on!
Click here to watch the concert on Facebook – includes chat comments
Full concert
Music only version of the concert
Lori Dupre created a progressive painting where the artists place their handprints over words like global pandemic, economic stress, and fear, replaced by words of healing and hope and a cityscape of Boston. This painting will be auctioned off at our concert premiere
Finally, we wanted to take time to thank our concert sponsors – the Emmanuel Gospel Center, Resurrection Church, Restoration City Church, Grace Chapel, Standing Ovation Entertainment, and the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston, as well as everyone who contributed to our production costs! Also, thank you to everyone who donated to support the artists – The contributions for the artists totaled $1575, which will help to fuel and further their music ministries in this crucial moment! Thank you so much for joining into this united worship movement where people of every nation, people and language are coming together to worship Jesus! (Rev. 7:9!)
unitebostonKeymasterThis week, we feature a blog by Ruth Wong, the Program Director of the Boston Education Collaborative at Emmanuel Gospel Center. The Boston Education Collaborative (BEC) works with churches and Christian leaders to empower Boston’s next generation to succeed in school and in life. The BEC is also a featured ministry in UniteBoston’s upcoming Love Boston concert. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Ruth shares stories about how God has been at work through church-school partnerships in nurturing new collaborations between churches and city institutions.
“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.”
~Isaiah 43:18-19As the COVID-19 pandemic swept through our world and threw all the countries and their systems into chaos, a sense of awe and the fear of the Lord grew in me. God humbled mankind and put us in our place, reminding us of how limited and powerless we really are. In essence, I believe God called us to attention. There has been much suffering, loss, and death as a result of this pandemic. It has been a sobering season to say the least. Yet, many Christians would also attest that we have seen God work in amazing ways that demonstrate His greater purposes in allowing this crisis to happen. Through the Boston Education Collaborative (BEC) at Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC), I have witnessed God bring His body together across racial, ethnic, and geographical lines in new ways that I could not have imagined or foreseen.
The mission of the BEC is to help churches support urban students (and their families) so they can thrive and reach their fullest God-given potential. Traditionally, many urban churches had already been involved in supporting schools or running their own programs to meet the physical, social, emotional, and academic needs of students. Since 2011, the BEC has helped to mobilize and support new church-school partnerships primarily with the Boston Public Schools (BPS) but has also worked beyond Boston. Churches have partnered with schools to provide supplies for classrooms, appreciate school staff, support the needs of families, and tutor/mentor students. God has divinely orchestrated so many connections and new partnerships that I am no longer surprised. Yet each time they happen, I continue to marvel at how His ways are infinitely higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). I am humbled by God’s favor upon the BEC in allowing us to build trust and so many relationships with local leaders in the area.
In early April, a series of personal connections led to an unexpected new ministry role for the BEC. I got connected to a director at the Salvation Army who was involved in statewide efforts to provide emergency and disaster relief. That introduction led to the BEC getting involved in helping to mobilize churches to meet diaper and other needs in Chelsea which was hit hard by the pandemic. Concurrently, I found out about various needs, including diapers, amongst the Spanish-speaking BPS families. This led me to pull in other EGC colleagues to meet with Agencia ALPHA, the social service agency of Congregación León de Judá, to explore ways to partner. ALPHA connected me with Pastor Johana Perez from Harvest Ministries of New England in Weymouth. One thing led to another, and soon, Pastor Johana and I found ourselves as partners in diaper ministry (aka diaper queens) for the Greater Boston region.
What began as an effort to help Chelsea with diaper needs became a diaper and baby products ministry that has helped over 600 families that are connected to at least 18 churches and nine organizations in Boston and beyond. BPS families were able to benefit from these resources as well as many families that were being reached by local churches, most of them in the COPAHNI (the Fellowship of Hispanic Pastors of New England) and ALPHA networks. The families live in Boston, Chelsea, Lynn, Lowell, Waltham, New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton, Cranston (RI), and even on Martha’s Vineyard. We were tasked by the Massachusetts Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) to manage a large donation of diapers from Baby2Baby, a charity organization. In addition, many individuals and several churches generously supported the ministry with financial and diaper donations, totaling close to $10,000.
Through BPS, the BEC was also introduced to two parent coordinators who had brought to BPS’ attention the many needs of the families that they were connected to. It turned out that these two moms were active members and leaders in their churches. At the time, Iglesia Biblica Faro de Luz in East Boston and New Ministry Church in Roxbury were not connected with ALPHA or COPAHNI. Through the BEC, those two churches were able to get connected to the resources of these two networks. Harvest Ministries, ALPHA, and COPAHNI had been coordinating an amazing operation to deliver food bags and fresh produce to families every weekend from April through early August. Out of the 1000+ families that had received food at least once, 160+ of them were connected to these two churches. The churches also referred families to apply for the cash assistance program that ALPHA was running to help families most impacted by the pandemic. In addition, the BEC connected another 64 BPS families to receive food deliveries.
It was amazing to see all the different churches who collaborated together for these efforts. While Harvest Ministries alone had 30 drivers to help distribute food to churches and hundreds of families, drivers from ALPHA and six other urban and suburban churches also pitched in to deliver to many homes. Besides the diapers that went to families connected to more than 10 Latino churches, there were diapers that went to families connected to several other churches representing different denominations and ethnicities.
This is just one story from the pandemic period. I know of other beautiful examples of churches partnering together for the first time and building relationships that will extend beyond this COVID-19 season. Furthermore, there were many other churches and leaders that collaborated with or supported the BEC during this time on other projects. The number of churches, organizations, and individuals who partnered in all the various projects is astounding. (I wish there was room to name them all here.) God’s fingerprints were all over the web of relationships, the timing of conversations that happened, and the catalytic events that led one thing to another. “You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.” (Psalms 40:5)
During UniteBoston’s webinar on how churches are missionally responding to COVID-19, Rev. David Wright, Executive Director of the Black Ministerial Alliance & Assistant to the Pastor at Peoples Baptist Church said something that really resonated with me: “I see Christians trying to get ‘through this’ so we can go back to our understanding of ‘normal.’ But God is intentionally leading us to a different place of doing and being the Church. We do ministry in our congregations, but how do we incarnationally engage the world for the kingdom of God? How do we see ourselves within an ecosystem of other churches so we can really be salt and light to the world? I see the body of Christ coming together in phenomenal ways; I’m just hoping that it continues and isn’t just an episodic thing because we had this crisis.” To this, I say, “Amen! Yes, Lord! May Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Currently, the BEC is busy working on initiatives to support BPS and other school districts in the upcoming school year, including mobilizing churches to assist teachers during Zoom classes, providing cloth masks for BPS students, sharing space with afterschool programs, hosting learning pods, and supporting parents/guardians in navigating the online platforms. Please join in on what God is doing through and in the churches as we seek to be His salt and light in our communities! To learn more about these initiatives, go to http://www.churchschoolpartners.org and contact me at rwong[at]egc.org.
August 28, 2020 at 2:56 pm in reply to: Bringin’ the Love: Meet the Artists for the Love Boston Concert #17077unitebostonKeymasterIn just two weeks, UniteBoston is hosting its 4th annual summer worship event, the “Love Boston” virtual concert! As the culminating event to our “Love Thy Neighbor” summer campaign, Love Boston features local Christian artists of diverse backgrounds performing original songs of justice, faith, and resilience that inspire audiences to “Love Thy Neighbor” during times of great adversity. Also, in recognition of the effects of systemic racism, this concert intentionally centers the voices of artists of color. Viewers can tune in to the live-streamed concert on September 12 at 7:00pm by registering here. Meet each of the singers below to see what the concert’s theme of “Love Thy Neighbor” means to them, and why audiences should tune in to the concert! Click each artist’s name to visit their websites, and learn more about their music and creative missions!
Name: Shanell Alyssa
Performance: Singer
Home Church: The First Cathedral
Original Song: “Freedom – We’ll All Be Free”
What does the concert theme “Love Thy Neighbor” mean to you?
“It’s been beautiful to see people expressing neighborly love in the Boston area, reaching out and going out of their comfort zones to help others during this time. It’s almost like we are entering a new era of unity… This whole thing is causing us to put aside all of the little things that divide the body of Christ that are not as significant as we make them out to be.
Why should people tune in to this concert?
“I’m really excited for the Love Boston concert. I hope that people can gather and experience this concert and create their own experiences around it in the viewing parties, in whatever way that people want to get together…I am excited to hear how people will be blessed by this [event].”
Name: Ada Betsabe
Performance: Singer/Rapper
Home Church: Impact Church
Original Song: “Sparrow”
What does the concert theme “Love Thy Neighbor” mean to you?
“We have so many different groups and organizations pulling for their beliefs, and we’re all so focused on finding someone to have our back and to say “I support this movement.” I think Love Boston lets us draw into the fact that God has our back, and he’s watching after us.”
Why should people tune in to this concert?
“Love Boston is a great initiative. UniteBoston has always been an organization to foster that sense of unity. In this particular concert, I’ve been very involved in the logistics, and have seen the selflessness of everyone involved. As artists, we could be saying “we’re already struggling, why would we do this?”, but that’s not the case. There’s this unity in spirit that we have, and I pray that everyone who gets to watch the concert and be a part of it can be united with the vision, which is to lift up the name of Jesus. That’s what it comes down to, and we’re all just here for that.”
Name: Jen Aldana
Performance: Singer
Home Church: Impact Church
Original Song: “Your Peace”
What does the concert theme “Love Thy Neighbor” mean to you?
“It’s such an important time to be unified as one church, as one people. What a better time than this to serve one another while so many people are in need, and so many people are starving for truth and starving for something that will bring them peace.”
Why should people tune in to this concert?
“Tuning in to Love Boston is a great opportunity for people of the Boston area to get in touch with what our local artists are doing. I think we don’t always get as much recognition, and we don’t always have these opportunities to collaborate and work with one another like we do at this event. So it’s going to be a great way for others to see what talent there is in the city.”
Name: Caleb McCoy
Performance: Singer/Rapper
Home Church: Neighborhood Church in Dorchester
Original Song: “Free (My Soul)”
What does the concert theme “Love Thy Neighbor” mean to you?
“ Loving our neighbor is trying to love yes, the people that are close and the people that we love, but also love those that may be different from us, those that we can’t understand. And I think that’s the beauty of music. With music, we can all spread a message and share a message that may be difficult in conversation. So, I hope to love my neighbor through music and through my life.”
Why should people tune in to this concert?
We want to share this music with you, even though we can’t be there with you, we want to come together to share the encouragement, to share the lament, the trials, and also to share the celebration of what God is doing in Boston.”
Name: Fugi
Performance: Spoken Word Poet and Visual Creator
Home Church: Restoration City Church
Original Spoken Word Piece: “Still Bless You”
What does the concert theme “Love Thy Neighbor” mean to you?
“Love Boston, for me, is really just capitalizing on community. Knowing that no one should be left out. To look to our right, left, front, and behind us, and knowing that no one is left behind, no one is out. And to make everybody included, even with our own differences.”
Why should people tune in to this concert?
“Love Boston has many cool forms of creativity and art. Everything from singing to rap to spoken word, to music ensembles and creation put together, from all different kinds of artists. And the content is filled with community, love, creativity, peace, and joy. I think if people tune in and really listen to the words that the artists are speaking, they can catch a lot of gems from it.”
Name: Jeany Alcántara
Performance: Singer
Home Church: Oasis of Life in Dorchester
Song: “On the Throne” by Desperation Band
What does the concert theme “Love Thy Neighbor” mean to you?
“Love thy neighbor is not only speaking but also acting according to what the Bible says: That you help when people are walking through their “valley of darkness.” There are people of different backgrounds, and yet we are one, and we should treat each other the same way you treat yourself.”
Why should people tune in to this concert?
“This concert is a way to bring hope, to unite families and communities. We know that what most of us are going through is not easy, but I think that through the music and creativity, the talent that we are bringing in to this concert will be able to show people that there is still hope and love that can transform any situation they are facing. I think you should tune in to this concert and invite other people to it to come together and worship with us. It’s gonna be cool, I know you’re gonna love it. So come be part of it, and let’s sing together.”
Name: Jalen Williams
Performance: Singer
Home Church: Impact Church
Original Song: “Never Leave”
What does the concert theme “Love Thy Neighbor” mean to you?
“When it comes to my neighbor, and the season that we’re in right now, I feel like it really means me accepting them for who they are. Wherever you’re at, whatever it is that you are doing or dealing with, I’m still going to be there for you. I’m still going to care for you. Whether you share the same values, or whether you share the same views, it doesn’t matter. You’re human. You’re a person. You have things that you love, people that you care about, and I should care about those things too because you care about that.”
Why should people tune in to this concert?
“We’ve got your favorite Boston Christian artists here, trying to show love with one another, to the community.”
Resources
Register for the concert and gain access to the city-wide viewing parties
Make a donation to contribute to this worship and racial justice movement. Once we cover the cost of hosting the event, all proceeds will go back to the artists to support their ministries.
Click here for our media kit, which includes information about how you can have your church or organization listed in our promotional materials.
PDF with more information about hosting a viewing party
Application to host a viewing party – Due Saturday September 5
unitebostonKeymasterBoston, We’ll Keep On Loving You!
Boston, MA – On September 12th, at 7:00pm, Boston’s top Christian artists are rising up to share original responses to the challenges of a global health crisis and racial injustices in a virtual concert event. In this “Love Boston Virtual Concert,” artists of diverse backgrounds are performing original songs of justice, faith, and resilience that inspire audiences to “Love Thy Neighbor” during times of great adversity.
[caption id="attachment_17051" align="alignright" width="258"] Singer Shanell Alyssa[/caption]
Local performing artists will feature music representing hip-hop, worship, soul, and gospel genres. “We wanted to bring forth a unique response to the current world events, and that uniqueness lies in what each artist brings to the table,” said singer Shanell Alyssa. “From varied demographics, backgrounds, and musical styles, we wanted to share a response that would speak to the hearts of people in all their diversity.”
This concert is the culminating event of a broader “Love Thy Neighbor” summer campaign coordinated by UniteBoston, in which people were encouraged to demonstrate love and connect with their neighbors in new and unexpected ways. In May, UniteBoston launched a COVID Grocery Delivery program which connects volunteers with COVID-positive households to provide groceries, and in June, UniteBoston hosted a large gathering in the Boston Common for racial justice. “Amidst all that is happening in our world today, we see many people responding by disparaging others with different viewpoints and backgrounds,” said Kelly Fasset, Executive Director of UniteBoston. “Rather than mimicking these divisive approaches, we feel called to look outward in love and care for one another, especially to those who are vulnerable or oppressed. I am convinced that there is no better time to Love Thy Neighbor than today.”
Featured artists include: Shanell Alyssa, Ada Betsabe, Jen Aldana, Caleb McCoy, Jeany Alcantara, and Jalen Williams. This year’s concert will be streaming LIVE on UniteBoston’s Facebook Page. To get access to this free streaming concert and neighborhood-based viewing parties, visit http://love-boston.eventbrite.com
About UniteBoston:
UniteBoston is a local nonprofit dedicated to bridging the historic divides among Christians from various denominations, races and generations and making “Love Thy Neighbor” a lifestyle. The “Love Thy Neighbor” event builds on their previous annual summer concerts in the Boston Common, which have been attended by over 2,000 people. Read more about the Love Thy Neighbor campaign and sign up to participate here.
August 7, 2020 at 11:18 am in reply to: Keys to Healing Dialogue: Intention, Reflection, Observation, and Need #16998unitebostonKeymaster“If we who call ourselves part of the one body of Christ are to be agents of healing and unity, then we must be skilled at engaging in dialogue that heals.“
This week, we feature a blog by Steve Tumolo of Quincy. Steve is the principal of the Center for Receptive Communication and Executive Director of Heart to Heart. Through these two organizations, he helps people to heal, thrive and lead, cultivating vital communication and leadership skills for diverse learners, including church leaders, male survivors of sexual abuse, incarcerated adults, parents, and teachers.
While many forms of communication result in division and polarization, Steve shares four keys to dialogue that can lead to greater reconciliation and healing, a crucial practice if Christ-followers are to learn and embody the reconciling power of the gospel.
Photo Credit: Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via Getty Images “As IRON sharpens IRON,
so a friend sharpens a friend.”
(Proverbs 27:17)The times in which we live reveal a growing polarization in the United States. Red vs. Blue, All Lives Matter vs. Black Lives Matter, Conservative vs. Liberal, Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice are just some of the camps upon which Christians find themselves also divided. If we who call ourselves part of the one body of Christ are to be agents of healing and unity, then we must be skilled at engaging in dialogue that heals.
Dialogue, authentic engagement with another in which we are willing to be changed by the encounter, is essential to healing the divisions in our country. I see, through the help of Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication and other sources, four keys to dialogue that are foundational. The acronym IRON can introduce these keys, named as Intention, Reflection, Observation, and Need. We can sharpen each other and strengthen one another through practicing these keys to healing dialogue.
Intention
It is important to enter dialogue with a leading intention to connect, appreciate and understand. These intentions suggest that we value relationship more than proving ourselves right and someone else wrong. Prioritizing relationship is God’s Trinitarian template. It is the Trinity’s relationship that creates. The Trinity, I suggest, does not relate for utilitarian motives, but out of love. Through loving, through Trinitarian relating, a universe was born. If God’s priority is relationship, why not make it ours as well?
This does not mean questions of what is good or what is just are not raised. It simply suggests that we start by listening and learning. This helps us to meet people where they are, not where we may want them to be. As Marshall puts it, “people often need empathy before they are able to hear what is being said,” (p. 171). The intention to connect, listen, and empathize, especially with people who have different experiences and perspectives, those who we may see as “other,” makes true encounter possible.
Reflection
The second key flows directly out of the intention to encounter and connect with another. It is the ability to distinguish reflecting from responding. Reflecting involves communicating back to the speaker the heart of what you hear them saying. This one action has multiple gifts. It can help the speaker experience being valued and heard. It can help the listener get clarity and understanding. This is especially true when what is reflected is not the speaker’s intent. This gives the speaker the chance to say, “well, that’s not exactly what I meant. It’s more like this…” The act of reflection can build a bridge of understanding, so that the heart of what is expressed is heard and experienced.
Responding has its place in dialogue. It is simply different than reflecting. Responding involves communicating what is stirred in me as I listen to you. Most of the conversations I hear sound like this: expression-response-response-response-response-response-reponse. We seem to be hooked on getting across our point. With two people, each trying their best to make their point, neither may experience being heard. Reflecting, however, slows down the conversation, creating opportunities to live into our intention, opportunities to experience connection and understanding.
Observation
The third key in healing dialogue is to distinguish observable facts from our interpretations and evaluations. Many of us have been brought up in the language of judgment. Yet judge not, Jesus commands, for the judgments you make upon others will turn back onto you. (Matthew 7: 1-2)
Mixing our judgments and evaluations with our observations contributes to the great confusion that divides Christians and our country. Keeping communication simple and focusing on what is pierces through the confusion and builds bridges of shared understanding. Learning to communicate in clear observations is key to dialogue across difference.
Presenting the raw facts has a power all its own. George Floyd was killed after a police officer kept his knee on his neck for close to 8 minutes. This is an undeniable fact. Two people can disagree on their evaluations but beginning with the same observable fact can be a vital starting point. From there, feelings can be communicated without evaluation as well. When I think of what happened to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Trayvon Martin and so many more of my Black brothers and sisters, I get choked up. I feel a mix of grief and shock and outrage. Sharing my raw truth, without judgment, can help me be heard and understood by another person who may have a different perspective than me. When people with different life journeys can share their experiences and perspectives, a shared understanding can emerge.
Need
The heart of what is being said goes deeper than feelings. Underneath every feeling is a need. Needs, Marshall Rosenberg suggests, are what motivates all of us to speak or act (pp. 52-55). When a need is met, we have a feeling we often enjoy. When a need is not met, we have a feeling we often do not enjoy. Feelings have this essential purpose of indicating the state of our needs.
When I think about George Floyd’s death, a deep need for justice arises. This need I believe is widely held and that all humans desire justice. Marshall considers core needs as universal and an expression of the divine (p. 130). We might say they are God-given. God created humans to long for and be motivated by the same core needs and desires of the heart. For example, to survive, we all need air, water, food, and safety. To thrive we need love, belonging, acceptance, freedom, respect, justice, and more.
If our dialogues are to connect us and bring about the unity for which we have been created, then we must get to the heart of what is being expressed. This means getting to the need, the heart’s desire. When I speak and name my core needs, when I listen and hear the needs of others, then we can see that we all long for the same things. We who say, “Black lives matter” want every Black woman, man and child to experience mattering, safety, respect, and justice. And perhaps those who say all lives matter have a need to experience mattering themselves. This need of mattering is something we all share.
Taking the time to listen and hear the need underneath what is being said is the fourth foundational key to dialogue that heals. Hearing and connecting around commonly held needs is a unifying practice. Together, these four keys, our intention to connect first, distinguishing reflecting from responding and observing from evaluating, and hearing and speaking to the need, lay the foundation for healing dialogue. If we Christians are to be agents of healing and unity, then, I believe, it is our call to engage in such dialogue with our families, our churches, and our world.
Photo: Priscilla Du Prezz on Unsplash ____________
The Center for Receptive Communication helps people and organizations heal, thrive and lead. They facilitate transformative learning for faith communities and schools and their leaders. The Center for Receptive Communication’s newest project is Sobrevivir, accompanying men who survived childhood sexual trauma in their journey through healing to thriving and leading. .
Heart to Heart helps people affected by violence to hear and follow Life’s calling, transforming people and systems . Heart to Heart is building on its 30 years experience working in prisons to support incarcerated people, returning citizens, children affected by a household member’s incarceration, and their parents, caregivers and teachers. It’s newest project is Heart to Heart Families and Heart to Heart Schools.
For more on Nonviolent Communication, see Rosenberg, Marshall B. 2015. Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. 3rd Edition. Encinitas, CA: Puddledancer Press or go to http://www.cnvc.org
unitebostonKeymaster“[There is] immense pressure, even in the Church, to prove our belonging to the “acceptable” group—a pressure that makes it easy to forget that justice often means longer term, un-sexy, behind-the-scenes labor in policy, paperwork, learning to love neighbors, and quiet, unseen conversations and prayers.”
This week, we feature a blog by Lexi Carver, member of Church of the Cross. Lexi recently moved back to her hometown of east Arlington, where she lives with her husband Connor and their cat, Billboard. Trained as a mechanical engineer, Lexi spends her days writing engineering software user guides, where she obsesses about rigorous use of language and contemplates the magic of nanoscale design. She also enjoys long walks and reading theology from many traditions. Lexi shares a powerful perspective on the need for Christians to examine their underlying motives behind their work towards racial justice and the need for discernment about the consequences of current cultural trends.
Photo Credit: Elijah Mickelson This past month, grappling with injustice against black Americans, I have learned and prayed much and still have much to learn and pray about. The ways in which churches continue to be complicit in racial injustice are heartbreaking; white Christians in particular are called to reflect on and repent of these sins, but also to act towards bringing forth a more fair and reconciled society; and for Christians, this must first begin in the church. I am heartened to see how many white people (myself included) are beginning to better comprehend the long suffering of our black brothers and sisters. The charge to listen is a great one – it is imperative that each person takes seriously the aches, wounds, discomforts, and the long line of injustices back through history. The reminder that Christ alone is our hope is a much-needed anchor. The invitation to pray and lament is crucial.
But there is even more at stake than what we see on the surface, for the battle is not against flesh and blood. In the midst of increased work for justice and awareness, I have noticed increased social temptations: to send certain signals for the sake of social acceptability, making my motives about me instead of the problem at hand, to succumb to viewing others with suspicion by mimicking scenarios in which people are labeled “friend” or “foe” based on (dis)agreement, and to judge others and myself as “moral” or not based on choices of politics or preferred action.
I have seen that it has become very easy in Boston, even encouraged, to label other people “racist,” “white supremacist,” “ignorant,” “unresponsive,” and a whole host of other condemning (or even idealizing) labels. These labels often stem from perceptions of only a few choices: Did they attend protests or not? Who did they vote for? Do they want to defund the police? Are they using the right lingo? In some conversations these days, disagreement feels tantamount to personal betrayal.
In some cases, these assessments may be accurate. But the temptation to hastily assume others’ hearts or to wave self-righteous flags reflects a cultural pitfall of moralizing judgment, of separating the “acceptable” people from the “unacceptable,” often along political lines. This leads to immense pressure, even in the church, to prove our belonging to the “acceptable” group—a pressure that makes it easy to forget that justice often means longer term, un-sexy, behind-the-scenes labor in policy, paperwork, learning to love neighbors, and quiet, unseen conversations and prayers. We can easily forget that Jesus called us to close our doors, praying to the Father who sees what is done in secret.
Amid the obvious issues of racial injustice many of us are exploring in conversation, there are also much less-discussed tensions of economic oppression, cultural identity, and political motives. My husband lived in Jamaica Plain for 10 years before we got married. In the last few years of his living there, many of his black and Latino neighbors suddenly moved away and their former homes were gutted, quickly rehabbed, and resold, in many cases for upwards of a million dollars.
We noticed with dismay that this sharp increase in gentrification directly correlated with an equally sharp increase in the number of “Black Lives Matter” signs appearing on the lawns of the new, wealthier, mostly white residents. These college-educated transients who had just pushed out lifelong residents showed no interest in getting to know the remaining, less wealthy, neighbors. Given the circumstances, it was hard not to see the lawn signs more as a social signal, support for a specific organization and its political ties, or perhaps an attempt to associate with virtuous sentiments, than an effort for real justice.
This was – and is – hard to talk about in Boston, home to so many universities and egregiously high rent prices, and where economic oppression can go hand-in-hand with political signaling. Although this trend is obviously not limited to predominantly black neighborhoods, what happened to my husband’s street was a cautionary tale to me of how people fighting for certain causes may widely perpetuate other injustices.
I am sure I am not exempt from the temptation to this particular sin! None of us are. We realistically will rarely have perfect motives, and it requires humility to acknowledge this. A question we might ask ourselves before joining any cultural movement is, “Is this for God’s glory or my own sake? What am I gaining?”
Yet discussions of issues like this can quickly turn bitter as political opinions become, more and more, all-encompassing labels of identity. In addition to the political label that can come with Black Lives Matter lawn signs, another label that comes to mind is the phrase “anti-racist.” Despite the commonality of this phrase, I find myself hesitant to define people overarchingly by what we are against. Jesus certainly stood against evil, but he defined Himself in terms such as the comforter, Savior, mediator, king, shepherd, bridegroom, deliverer—never the “Man Against Wickedness.” As my friend Kelly Madden recently pointed out, I want to be for justice, for cheering for the personal agency and authority of my black friends and neighbors and leaders, for the protection and exaltation of black lives, for the respect of black voices and churches and businesses, for support of black communities, for the liberation of black prisoners wrongly accused and unjustly sentenced, for better and fairer policies, for accountability without condemnation, for humble and ongoing learning and growth. Perhaps our challenge is to pause long enough and breathe deeply enough of the Holy Spirit to envision something to create, not only to tear down.
The Enemy would use this time, if we allow it, to tempt us to pit ourselves against each other, to drive our divisions deeper rather than work to heal them, to malign each other (or others not in the room) endlessly. But this is nothing new; as Jesus tells us, the path of the Kingdom of God is narrow, wending and twisting between landmines in our hearts and our societies.
I do not have the answers for how best to work for and discuss issues of racial justice, or any of the other forms of justice we need right now, while avoiding the evil that will inevitably follow from “standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others” (Matt. 6:5). Of course, God can use even our most measly and self-serving actions to his own purposes and glory. But I believe these are questions that the church must grapple with. Following the way of Christ means allowing God to train us in shrewdness and innocence, prayerfully discerning where and with whom we are called to work, and digging beyond the surface of cacophonous news headlines, social pressures, and our own hearts.
Pray with me:
Lord, help us to seek, above all, your heart for our churches and our city. Plug our ears against the siren calls of selfishness, social acceptability, and condemnation of our neighbor; help us to learn the language of your Spirit; teach us narratives and ways that edify your children. Help us to take the time to sit with you, until we are filled with and compelled by your love. Empower us to pray for our enemies and love our opponents. Above all, help us to see your reflection in every human face, and show us your call to us in your mission of racial justice and other forms of justice in the world.
June 27, 2020 at 10:58 am in reply to: UB’s Love Thy Neighbor Campaign: Meet Who’s Making it Happen #16851unitebostonKeymasterThe theme for this year’s summer campaign is entitled “Love Thy Neighbor,” which invites Christians to reach out to their neighbors in new and unexpected ways. Through providing groceries to combat food insecurity, racial justice initiatives, and interdenominational dialogues, we are encouraging people to contemplate who their “neighbor” is and how everyone can best “love their neighbor as themselves” during the difficult times we are facing. It has been a humbling experience to witness the campaign coordinators discern the best course of action for these initiatives, and to see Christians of different denominations and backgrounds connect with their neighbors in such profoundly gracious ways.
Our team will also be creating and releasing collaborative videos that celebrate testimonies and worship experiences around people loving their neighbors, which will culminate into a virtual worship viewing party on September 12, 2020. Stay tuned for more information about this!
Our “Love Thy Neighbor” summer team is a diverse group of Christians, working hard each week to discern and launch various initiatives. Meet the coordinators below as they reflect on what the theme of “Love Thy Neighbor” means to them!
Name: Mike Hong
Position: Music Director
Home Church: City On A Hill Church
“Loving your neighbor is a holistic pursuit of your neighbor’s good in the same way you pursue yourself. We make plans for ourselves. We go on grocery trips. We make financial sacrifices and investments. We spend time growing in knowledge and maturing spiritually. We even vote and lobby for things that benefit ourselves. Loving your neighbor encompasses care of body and soul, anything less disregards the very way that God designed us as human beings.”
Name: Kelly Fassett
Position: Executive Director, UniteBoston
Home Church: River of Life Church
“‘Love thy neighbor’ is at the heart of Jesus’ message, and it calls for a radical orientation of one’s life to others rather than on oneself. I believe that loving our neighbor means that we intentionally listen to, care for, and lay our lives down so others can flourish.”
Name: Chloe Gaydos
Position: Concert Co-Producer
Home Church: Reunion Church
“Love thy neighbor is a high calling which Jesus instructed us to follow, and as we love our neighbor, we are able to impact each other at the deepest level that we were made for. God puts many people in our lives who play various roles – and if we lack love for them, then we have fallen short of our calling as Christians. It’s important for us to take what we have and use it to love one another and to recognize our differences with an open heart and mind.”
Name: Kelly Shea:
Position: Co-Producer
Home Church: Highrock Church
“‘Love Thy Neighbor’ is a selfless way of being, whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Often, as an act out of the love we have received from Jesus Christ, it is the next best step forward to serve someone else without condition or expectation of a return. To love thy neighbor is to care freely, and potentially wholeheartedly, for their well-being – to be a support for others in their time of need or distress, in any way we can. And if you know Jesus, loving thy neighbor is to share the good news, through both word and deed as He has displayed.”
Name: Sharon E. Walcott
Position: Public Relations
Home Church: Pentecostal Tabernacle, Cambridge
“In Galatians 5:14, it commands us to ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’ This commandment is a golden rule for me. Specifically, I really try to love️ my neighbors who are in need, broken and invisible to most.”
Name: Peter Seremetis
Position: Communications Coordinator
Home Church: Marsh Chapel at Boston University, and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Wyckoff, NJ
“When I think of Christ’s call for us to “Love Thy Neighbor,” it reminds me to pay attention to all of the nuanced ways that God is at work in our lives. As Christians, we often talk about God acting “upon” us from heaven, or acting “through” us via the Holy Spirit. Yet, I find that God acts most deeply and profoundly “between” us through the relationships that we cultivate with each other. When we “love our neighbors” by checking in with, reaching out to, being present with, standing up for, and–when necessary–forgiving each other across boundaries, we take the first steps in aligning our acts with God’s acts, ultimately becoming part of the great work that God already has in motion.”
Name: Joel Putnam
Position: Social Media & Projects Manager
Home Church: New City Church, MA and First United Methodist Church of Pinellas Park, FL
“Living out my Christian faith is not complete without following through on my own baptismal commitment of doing good works as a response to the love and grace God has given me. As my future takes me into vocational ministry, I must not lose sight of what God calls me to do as an individual. Our UniteBoston mission reminds me of how important it is to see others and care for others.”
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