The recent murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia, brings to mind the ugly history of lynching in America. Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), defines lynching as "a racially motivated act of violence committed by two or more people where there is no accountability." Lynchings were brutal acts of torture, often in public, designed to terrorize black people. State and federal officials generally looked the other way. EJI has documented more than 4400 lynchings of black people in the United States between 1877 and 1950.
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.
If you're looking for things to watch or read while you're staying at home, we've got some suggestions from Anthony Ballard, BelPres Pastoral Resident for Justice & Racial Reconciliation. And if you missed the Maundy Thursday service, be sure to check out Anthony's BelPres preaching debut! (https://www.facebook.com/BelPresChurch/videos/217587372802681/)
In the first session of our Justice, Kindness, and Humility Bible Study, our speaker calls up an image from Handel's Messiah that I think is fitting to reflect on as we prepare for Holy Week. In teaching us about a biblical theology of justice, the Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero refers to the movement "Ev'ry valley shall be exalted," which in turn quotes Isaiah 40:3-4: "A voice of one calling: 'In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.'"
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.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 3
Time: 1:00-2:30 pm
Location: Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th St, Bellevue
RSVP: Yes please, it's appreciated!
Have you ever thought about how games can be a tool to learn about culture, history and tradition? In December's Cultural Conversations, WA native and UW professor, Dr. Jeanette Bushnell will share as educator and citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota why and how she and her partners developed an educational game, Potlatch: A game about Economics. Sharing her insights Jeanette will provide an overview of Potlatch, and what we can learn about local native people, history, language, and cultural values.
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