UniteBoston

Bridging Divides Across Christians for the Flourishing of the City

Boston’s Churches Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. King

This week, as we honor the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we reflect on how his Christian faith was the driving force behind his commitment to racial equality, justice, and nonviolent resistance. Rooted in biblical principles of love, equality, and the inherent dignity of every person, Dr. King’s faith shaped his vision of the “Beloved Community”—a society defined by justice, reconciliation, and peace. His unwavering trust in God gave him courage in the face of danger, hope amidst adversity, and a moral vision that continues to inspire movements for justice today.

Below are four powerful quotes from Dr. King and ways churches in Boston are living out his transformative legacy.

1. Ten Demandments to Boston’s White Churches

“In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: “Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern.” – Dr. King, in Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 1963

On January 15, 2025, the Boston People’s Reparation Commission marked Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 96th birthday by gathering white church leaders to confront the enduring legacy of anti-Black racism. They introduced ten “demandments” for reparatory justice, calling for financial restitution, land forfeiture, and policy reform to address the deep injustices rooted in colonialism and systemic racism in Boston.

Historic white churches are urged to take bold action, embracing their God-given responsibility to participate in the city’s racial repair journey. Let us rise to this call for justice and not let this moment pass us by!

Rev Dr Jay Williams of Union Combined Parish
Dr. Angela Davis, keynote speaker

2. 55th annual Boston MLK Breakfast, co-hosted by Union Combined Parish and St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church.

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.’ – Dr. King, Draft of Chapter X, “Shattered Dreams”, July 1, 1962 to March 31, 1963

For 55 years, St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church and Union United Methodist Church have collaborated to present a memorial breakfast in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  It was the Black women of the parishes s who began holding services together, even before the federal holiday was established. The partnership is an incorporated nonprofit organization, which includes members from both churches. There was a strong ecumenical showing at the gathering, including Rev. Laura Everett of Massachusetts Council of Churches, Bishop Julia Whitworth of Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, and Governor Maura Healey and Bishop Thomas Bickerton of New England UMC.

Listen to Dr. Angela Davis’ keynote speech here on the struggle for liberation and the need to hold onto King’s vision of infinite hope.

3. Christians in Newton Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. King.

“Only when its is dark enough can you see the stars.” – Dr. King, I’ve been to the Mountaintop, April 3, 1968 Memphis, Tennessee.

We were proud to see our very own Managing Director, Rev. Devlin Scott, serve as the master of ceremonies for Newton’s 57th Annual Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day! The event was filled with powerful voices, including students, Newton’s school superintendent, the Mayor of Newton, and a diverse group of clergy members. The keynote address was delivered by Rev. Dr. Brandon Crowley, Pastor of The Historic Myrtle Baptist Church in Newton, who challenged the audience with his message of unity and justice. “Dr. King’s dream was for black people, not white people. We need our white brothers and sisters not to dream, but to wake up and get to work,” said Crowley.

Crowley’s powerful words are a reminder that the work of justice and unity often falls on the shoulders of the marginalized. The best way to be a co-conspirator for justice is to share one another’s burdens for the shalom of the city.

Watch the Newton’s 57th Annual Celebration of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Here.

4. Featured This Month in Smithsonian Magazine: The Call to Rename Faneuil Hall

“We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Dr. King at the Washington National Cathedral, March 31, 1968.

Reverend Kevin Peterson, a Boston-born public theologian and Baptist minister has initiated a public campaign in 2018 to rename Faneuil Hall, highlighting its namesake’s involvement in the slave trade. This campaign and call to change was featured in this month’s Smithsonian Magazine. Dr. King’s public life was characterized by civil disobedience and grassroots organizing, and two strategies have also characterized Rev. Peterson’s ministry and call to change.

Locked in Solidarity Conference

Highrock Beyond Bars invites you to gather with and on behalf of those affected by incarceration to encourage practitioners, engage with stories of change, and be equipped in the pursuit of justice, redemption, and restoration.

This year’s conference will focus on being Locked in Solidarity with those who are currently and formerly incarcerated, particularly in relation to their experiences of trauma before, during and after incarceration and their journeys of healing. The conference will feature leaders with lived experience of incarceration and long-time experience working directly with returning citizens and people who are currently incarcerated. Among others, we’ll be hearing from:

  1. Joy Stevens: Trauma Healing Trainer of Facilitators in jails and prisons domestically and internationally
  2. Milton Jones (Boston’s Louis Brown Peace Institute)
  3. TJ Weaver (Chaplain at Massachusetts Correctional Institute – Shirley)
  4. Sophea Sou-Krauss (Thrive Communities)
  5. Todd Fournier (Highrock Church)
  6. Chris Bolder, Bolder Faith LLC
  7. Jua Robinson, Boston Collaborative

All conference participants are invited to an optional lunch following the morning’s programming.

There is no cost to this conference.

Register here to attend so that we have an accurate count for lunch.

Contact Joe Marcucci, joem@highrock.org, for more information.

German Christmas Service

Hi everyone,
In two weeks we are celebrating Christmas, and Faith Lutheran Church in Cambridge will once again hold our annual Christmas service in German!
Since our own building sadly burned down a year and a half ago we cannot worship there yet, but one of our sister congregations, the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Woburn, generously offered us their building this year, so we will meet at 60 Forest Park Road in Woburn, MA, at 3:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve for our family service in German.
You are all invited to celebrate this service with us, and please also invite anyone you know who is from the German-speaking parts of the world, would like to practice their German, or is simply interested in German-language traditions! There is plenty of parking and seating, the building is wheelchair/stroller accessible, and the service is child-friendly and will take about an hour, so we will be done with plenty of time until dinner.
Please contact us with any questions: info@faithcambridge.org, and see you on Christmas Eve!

Following Jesus as the Prince of Peace: Removing Walls of Hostility

 For [Jesus] himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Ephesians 2:14-18 NIV

In this Advent season, we are called to follow Jesus as the Prince of Peace by actively removing walls of hostility in our lives. These barriers—whether political, cultural, or personal—perpetuate division and conflict, preventing us from upholding the ‘ministry of reconciliation’ (2 Cor 5:18). Through Jesus’ work on the cross, walls of hostility can be broken down, creating a new humanity of reconciliation, peace, and love, so together we can bear witness to the Way of Jesus.

On December 8, UniteBoston’s Executive Director Rev. Kelly was honored to be invited by UB Board Member Pastor Kat Hampson to preach at Riverwalk Church! Click below to watch the sermon or read some of the notes!

The Problem of Hostility

The polarization in our society today mirrors the animosity between Jews and Gentiles in Ephesians 2:11-22, with divisions physically, relationally, and attitudinally. Research shows that Americans increasingly view those with opposing views as threats, with 80% of people believing that the other party “poses a threat that if not stopped will destroy America as we know it” (NBC News). Unfortunately, we see this hostility present even among Christians called to the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18). This divisive posture contradicts our calling as peacemakers (Mt 5:9) and repairers of the breach (Is 58:12).

Jesus: Transforming Hostility into Enemy-Embracing Love

As Prince of Peace (Is 9:6), Jesus inaugurated a new way; he redefined who and how we associate with others. Ephesians 2 reveals that Jesus broke down the dividing walls of hostility, reconciling people both to God (vertical peace) and to one another (horizontal peace). His purpose was to create one new humanity, transforming enmity into fellowship. This is exemplified in His life: dining with outcasts, forgiving enemies, and welcoming diversity among His disciples.

The type of peace we have in Christ breaks down societal barriers rather than building them, a peace where love banishes all fear, and a peace that breaks down walls of hate and hostility by upholding belovedness as all made in God’s image. This posture is summed up in Jesus’ statement that we are not just to love those who are most like us but to love our enemies (Mt 5:43).

Early Christians embodied this boundary-crossing nature of the faith, and people took note. Historians believe that it was in Antioch that they were called Christians because they saw early Christ followers crossing ethnic walls to worship with one another. Historian Harvey Conn writes that, “Into a world where class, power and ancestry divided rich from poor, free from slave, men from women, came a society that welcomed all who bore the name Jesus.”

Our Call as Followers of the Prince of Peace

Following Jesus as Prince of Peace is counter-cultural and vitally important. To embody Jesus’ boundary-breaking love, Rev. Kelly offers four steps:

  1. Find Your Wall of Hostility
    Reflect on the groups or individuals you feel animosity toward. Here are some questions we can ask to help us identify who this may be:
    • Which groups do you avoid or feel threatened by? Who makes you uncomfortable?
    • Is there a particular group that you cringe at the thought of praising them; that you don’t even want to be exposed to the ideas or ways, much less earnestly listen to them? Who do you believe that the world would be better off if there were less of “those people” around?
    • Howard Thurman said – “Often the degree to which we oppose a thing marks the degree to which we do not understand it. Sometimes we use our opposition to an idea to cover up our own ignorance.” Have you met the person on the ‘other side,’ and heard their story?
  2. Remember the Belovedness of the ‘Other’
    Every person is made in God’s image and is beloved by Him (Gen 1:27). Commit to seeing this inherent worth in everyone you meet, especially those on the ‘other side’ of a particular background or ideology.
  3. Go with Curiosity
    “You can’t hate someone whose story you know.” Our assumptions and conclusions are often built on what have heard, rather than face-to-face conversations. With the rise of siloed media and social media platforms, we have become so accustomed today to talking about one another rather than with them. One of the biggest tools we have as peacemakers is curiosity: when someone shares a strong or ‘loaded’ statement, we can ask, “Is there a story behind that?” Engage others’ stories with humility, seeking to understand their longings, hopes and fears.
  4. Reflect and Discern
    Opening yourself up to new experiences and ideas is often uncomfortable. Yet, it is also a sign of maturing in our faith (Eph 4:15). Prayerfully reflect on what you have heard using frameworks like the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (Scripture, Reason, Tradition, Experience) to evaluate your theological conclusions. Growth requires embracing discomfort and balancing openness with a firm foundation in Jesus Christ.

One caveat: When we talk about getting beyond a wall of hostility, a situation of abuse or trauma does not apply. There are some ‘walls’ that are necessary for self-protection, health, and safety. We must differentiate between a wall of hostility and a wall of protection as there are times when you need to be with “your people” to say the things you need to say, for healing and restoration.

Why This Matters

Our unity is both the fruit and the witness of the gospel. As we remove hostility, we demonstrate the reconciling power of Christ and live into His mission. The early church modeled this radical love by breaking barriers in a divided world, and we are called to do the same today.

Invitation

Will you follow Jesus, the Prince of Peace, by removing your walls of hostility? As John Howard Yoder said, “This new Christian community in which the walls are broken down not by human idealism or democratic legalism but by the work of Christ, is not only a vehicle of the gospel or only a fruit of the gospel; it is the good news. It is not merely the agent of mission or the constituency of a mission agency. This is the mission.“

Reflection Questions:

  • 1. What walls of hostility exist in your heart? Consider which groups do you avoid or feel threatened by? Who makes you uncomfortable?
    • With this group in mind, what assumptions do you hold? What conclusions are you making? What do you fear? Be on the lookout for these biases
  • 2. How can you actively uphold the belovedness of all of God’s children, even those who believe differently than you?
  • 3. Who can you listen to with curiosity this week or month? Holiday gatherings are opportune spaces where we can listen, learn, and have tough conversations with people of differing perspectives and convictions.
  • 4. How might God be calling you to grow in your understanding on a particular divisive issue? Consider how your perspective is informed by Scripture, Reason, Tradition, and Experience.

We’d love to hear from you if you take some of these steps to follow Jesus as the Prince of Peace! Rev. Kelly can be reached at kelly@uniteboston.com Be blessed friends!

Choosing Unity Over Division in this Post-Election Season

Today, we are featuring a guest blogger, Bil Mooney-McCoy, who shares the importance of holding firm convictions while still embodying Christ’s love toward those who see things differently, especially across the political aisle. Bil is a member of Neighborhood Church of Dorchester and Director of Worship and Lecturer at Gordon College. Read below to hear his wise, practical advice in how we might choose unity over division and treat one another well in this post-election season, along with some thoughts from our colleague Rev. Dr. Gregg Detwiler.

Last Sunday, in church, we sang a song that summarized what is known as the Apostles’ Creed. When it got to the line “I believe…in Your holy church”, I began to cry. Looking at all the rhetoric and vitriol that has been part of this election cycle, I have been distressed by how divided we’ve become as a nation.

But specifically, my sorrow, my grief was prompted by how we Christians have handled the political landscape. We have villainized each other, questioned the validity of each others’ faith journeys. I’ve seen misinformation knowingly promoted by Christians, insults hurled at fellow believers, and in some cases heard of relationships within the body of Christ severed. I am sure that there have been times when my words and actions have contributed to this division. That’s not OK. This is not Christ’s vision for His church.

We are called to unity. But not to uniformity. We have different experiences, priorities, values, and perspectives; therefore, our opinions and beliefs on issues like abortion, gay rights, immigration, and gun ownership will vary. And it is appropriate for one to hold firm stances on these issues and to strongly disagree with those who hold contrary viewpoints. But these convictions should never lead to opportunities to tear each other down.


As I cried out to God today, I felt a prompting. I asked my God what I should do to promote unity amidst the political discord. Could I stay engaged and firm in my beliefs and convictions while working to diffuse the hostility and intolerance that is so rampant? How do I act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before my God in a time like this? Particularly now, in the election’s aftermath. And how do I channel God’s compassion and peace, knowing that last Tuesday’s outcome filled many with joy and hope but others with deep disappointment and dread?

The answers came quickly. Here’s what I believe God would have me commit to:

• I will cry with our Lord over the disunity and even hatred within our faith community.
• I will not speak ill of those who disagree with my political views, publicly or privately.
• I will pray for courage to engage in respectful, honest connection with those who disagree with me. I confess that I’m not there yet.
• I will recognize that in the outcome of every major political contest or legislative action, there will be many who will grieve; knowing that, I will not gloat nor condone others’ gloating.
• I will do all I can to comfort those who mourn, who are afraid, who feel ignored. I will listen to those who are angry.
• I will remind myself that being loving is more important than being right.
• I will do due diligence to confirm the veracity of any story I wish to repeat, verbally or online, refusing to spread incorrect or unconfirmable narratives, regardless of which agenda they promote.
• I will stand firm in my beliefs, taking strong positions based on my understanding of scripture and the character of Christ. But I will do so knowing that I don’t have all the answers. I will strive to discover my blind spots and accept new information and insights that may challenge my perspectives.
• I will (when appropriate) call out fellow believers whose words and actions are divisive, hurtful, and insulting even when their position aligns with my own.
• I will stand in the truth that my well-being and the well-being of those I love is not contingent on the election or defeat of a presidential candidate, the Senate and House majority, the make-up of the Supreme Court, or any earthly construct. My hope is in the loving care of my Father in Heaven.
• I will be grateful that, despite the flaws in our electoral system, I get to vote.
• I will pray for this nation and for its leaders.

I acknowledge that I do not have the character and morality to walk in these principles; I must rely on the work of the Holy Spirit within me to carry this out and will need to quickly acknowledge when I fall short.

The church’s one foundation is not a set of party platforms, a stance on societal issues, or adherence to a deeply-held political ideology. Her one foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord.

Father, forgive me when I forget this.

Our friend and colleague Rev. Dr. Gregg Detwiler, consultant in the Intercultural Ministries and Leadership Development at the Emmanuel Gospel Center also shared the following sentiment as this week came to a close:

“While we all continue to sort out the results of the election and attempt to make meaning and find faithful responses to it, curious things can happen. Many of my friends are grieving and concerned; others are happy with the outcome (a subset of those are gloating); others are conflicted, filled with a mixture of emotions and thoughts (find me here). This election has taxed all the various muscle groups of my being – my intercultural ministry skills within the Church and society, my emotional intelligence, my mental health, and my spiritual foundation.

I made a decision this week to not push against the tide of the political upheaval but to try to flow with it. That meant spending probably 90% of my time engaging in reflective journaling, prayer, reading, posting a few transparent but measured comments on FB, and doing my level-best to have grace-filled truth-seeking conversations. I was amazed that at how many fruitful conversations I was able to have across the political spectrum after the election. Not all of them went well but a lot of them did, many more than I ever would have expected. And I have a docket of follow-up conversations scheduled over the next few weeks. So while this is painful and perplexing I find myself in this odd space filled with some unexpected turns along the way.  

One those unexpected turns came when one of my Facebook posts – My 3a.m. Election Day Confession – was anonymously quoted in a UK-based org article that seeks to promote political renewal through thoughtful Christian civic engagement. Here is the link to the article if you are interested in taking a look. I totally get it if things are still too raw for you to go there.

May the Lord help us all as we decompress from this week, find our moorings, and continue the work of seeking shalom in our communities, nation, and world.

P.S. BTW, if you are curious why I voted the way I did I go deeper into that in my FB post – Answering Two Questions of my Political Critics.

P.S. In case you missed it, UniteBoston also hosted an influential “Church and Civic Engagement” gathering of 75 leaders with ten other sponsoring organizations. Many of these leaders made a public commitment to Keep in Step with the Holy Spirit. We invite you also to consider upholding this same commitment in the days preceding and following the election.

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