December 22, 2014 

 

My dear brothers and sisters,

 

For several weeks, New Yorkers have been focused on the non-indictment of the police officer who took the life of Eric Garner.  There has been participation by many members of our diocese in protests related to that jury decision.  Last week, on the 16th, several hundred gathered for a worship service at Saint Philip's Church in Harlem, where calls for justice were mingled with prayers for healing and a commitment to reconciliation of a divided community, and to building healthy, mutually respectful relationships among police, churches and communities.

 

Then this weekend we witnessed the very shocking, inexcusable, heart-breaking assassinations of two New York City police officers.  The motives of their killer appear in these early hours to be complex, but are at least in part a reaction to the death of Eric Garner.  What cannot be ignored is that the simmering polarization of our city, the breakdown of trust between police and citizens, the extremity of rhetoric on all sides, and the willingness of too many to hold all protesters and all police responsible for the excesses of a smaller number of each are breeding a cascading horror of tragedy upon tragedy.  The killings of these two officers -- public servants -- who in their lives and work had pledged themselves to the safety and protection of the people of our city, is excruciating.  To their families, fellow officers, and the broader community of police, particularly noting those officers who live and worship in our parishes, this bishop and diocese offer our own sorrow, and our sincerest and most heartfelt condolences.  

 

We are Christians.  At the very heart of this faith is the declaration of our dear Jesus that he came among us that all might be one, as he and the Father are one.  Those things we do to reconcile difference, heal division, and build common life and community among all people -- to repair the breach, to respect the dignity of every human being -- are the things we do in the name of and service of Christ.  Those things we do which demonize the other, which deny the humanity of others, which foster hatred, or which excuse or justify violence against anyone, are affronts not only to the claims of a common humanity, but to God.  

 

We continue to insist on just, fair, respectful treatment of all people by the police, restraint and forbearance in the use of force, the honoring of people of every race, and fairness and justice in the courts.  But this is by no means inconsistent with our respect and gratitude to the police who put themselves in danger for the sake of others.  Black lives matter.  Blue lives matter.  All lives matter in the eyes of our creator and to all of us who profess to love God.  In these Advent passage of hope and expectation, New Yorkers find ourselves living through a season in which we are buffeted between anger and grief.  What do we do with these feelings?  How may we channel them for good?  In this week in which we observe the birth of the Prince of Peace, we commend to God the souls of our three fallen brothers -- Eric Garner, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos -- all taken too soon, all of them much loved.  For their sake, and in their name, may God make us brave and strong and faithful to continue our work to build a whole and healed human family.  This is the work of Christians.  It is what we are for.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rt. Rev. Andrew M.L. Dietsche

Bishop of New York