Monthly eBulletin – Racism and Violence, What Can We Do?
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It is time that we as human beings confront the darkness of racism and violence. As people of faith, as followers of Jesus, we must be the leaders of that confrontation.
As tragic as this rash of violence and racism has been, maybe it is turning out to be the light shined upon the darkness that we all need to look at, closely. And to look at that darkness, education needs to change – race issues and history should be a normal part of every public education in this country. Equality, compassion, and reconciliation should be courses in every high school. Additionally, governmental funding of violence- namely war- should be decreased and funding of education should be greatly increased. College should not equal debt or poverty. At the root of violence and racism is a lack of knowing, a lack of education. Lack of understanding leads to fear, fear leads to hate. Hate to violence. When was the last time you really examined public education and the curriculum taught there? Church communities should be at the forefront of this movement- just as brave churches and denominations stepped forward on the LGTBQ equal rights, so should they be stepping up speaking out against war and corporate ownership of our world, economic disparities, and racism. To not talk about race actually worsens the problem. It masks racial disparities and hinders social justice.
It is time for us all to confront the shadow side of being human which is afraid of that which is different and is afraid of losing its place in line. And to do that we need to look at it clearly, rather than turn away from it, pretending it isn’t real. We can then shine the light on it, and overwhelm it with love.
