by Heather Hedlund
The many recent incidents of racial injustice along with the ongoing coronavirus situation have spurred some members of the BelPres community to act. We'd like to share some of their actions here to give you ideas and encourage you in your personal journey. If you'd like to share what you've done, please email
The COVID-19 crisis has both produced and revealed a number of racial disparities. People of color are disproportionately affected by both the disease itself and by the measures we are taking to slow its spread. We'd like to invite you to learn more about these impacts and then think and pray about how we might respond as individuals and as a group. If you have resources to share, stories of how you or someone you know has been impacted, or ideas for how we might respond, please email
Galations 6:2 says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." I think this verse is all about empathy. To me, I carry someone else's burden when I try to really understand what they are experiencing and bear witness to their pain. In doing so, perhaps I can share their load. I was recently watching a webinar titled What the COVID-19 Crisis Tells Us about Structural Racism.
Pastor Scott Dudley has told us that Christians in ancient times were known for rushing in to help during times of plague while everyone else was rushing out. Here's a podcast episode from Christianity Today that shares some of the history of Christian compassion for those suffering and the Christian connection to public health.
We are saddened to learn that some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are experiencing discrimination and stigma because of racialized rhetoric around coronavirus. We can bring racial justice and healing by pushing back against these types of comments. Here are some resources to help you.