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Beloved Community,
With all that is happening in our country, I am trying to begin each morning with a grounding practice. Something that helps center me in the Divine's embrace as I prepare for what the day may hold.
This morning, that practice involved watching a reflection by Kate Bowler, Professor of American Religious History at Duke University, who named what so many of us are feeling as we witness what is unfolding around us: grief. She spoke of a “slow collapse of the post WWII promise that institutions would protect us, that norms would matter, that progress would bend in the right direction.” When that story begins to crack, despair is a natural response.
And yet, she reminded me that in our despair, we must not withdraw.
Maybe you’ve found yourself quick to anger with folks you aren’t really angry with, or carrying a weight you can’t quite name. I know I have.
Our faith tradition calls us to actively practice hope. Hope is a courageous choice to stay present, to see the image of God in one another, and to keep seeking justice even when the road feels long. Our anger and grief do not have to paralyze or consume us; they can become fuel to tell the truth, protect the vulnerable, and remain bearers of light and love in a world that so often tries to harden our hearts.
As we continue to navigate, mourn, and lament the news coming out of the Twin Cities and across our country, I want to share a portion of a Prayer of Lament that Rev. Álvaro wrote for our Wednesday service:
God of living waters,
we pray for all migrants and refugees
who live today under the constant weight of fear;
for those who have been persecuted, detained, or deported;
for those who live with the daily anguish
of not knowing whether they will return home at the end of the day.
God of truth,
we pray for those who have been victims of the use of force;
for those injured in raids, protests, and vigils;
for militarized communities
and for those who have lost their lives
at the hands of federal agencies.
God of restorative justice,
we pray for the end of white supremacy
and for the dismantling of all forms of racism,
xenophobia, and Christian nationalism,
and of systems that rank human lives
according to race, origin, language, or immigration status.
Dismantle, O God,
the ideologies that bless violence,
the theologies that justify exclusion,
and the policies that feed on fear.
Give us the courage to be a sanctuary community, the wisdom to organize,
and the tenderness to accompany without conditions.
God of justice and mercy, hear our prayer.
In peace,
Rev. JV
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