There is something very different about the demonstrations which have continued since George Floyd’s death. I notice the diversity and determination: white, black and brown; male, female and trans; young and middle-aged. It feels like Pentecost to me.
Not only is this movement about ending police brutality and racial profiling, but I sense there is real support for greater voting access, better schools, and basic medical care. The November elections will be crucial AND we can expect continued efforts by some to keep voters from the polls. Something new is being born.
When Jesus sent his disciples out to proclaim that the realm of God is close at hand,* he knew they would be welcomed by some and scorned by many. Jesus warned them to be “wise as serpents and gentle as doves,” knowing that existing power structures would push back. His instructions even included how they should behave when hauled into court.
Jesus was a realist about the world they lived in. We must be too.
Like those timid and terrified disciples, we must listen for the Spirit’s guidance about where and how the systems of racial oppression and exclusion can be changed. Each of us has a piece of this larger work to do, right where we are. If Jesus is to have a body in this time and place, it will be us. Something new is being born. The real work is just beginning.
–Marjory Zoet Bankson, Editor of InwardOutward.org
- What needs to die in your life for the new to be born?
- Where can you take action toward love and justice in your community?
- How can you celebrate these new beginnings? With whom?
