Each year during February our whole nation marks Black History Month. Since 2004 our whole PC(USA) national community has established a commitment to doing more than just learning or thinking about that history — we’ve called on our governing bodies and congregations to engage with the hard idea of reparations.

That’s one of the reasons that I am grateful that members of our community are digging deep into a conversation about reparations — what the concept is and what it has to do with us — through a class that is being led by Rev. Stephanie Lutz-Allen. You can see the “toolkit” of materials they are using here.

When we are willing to learn about Black history in our country, it is almost certain that we will begin to learn truths that we had not previously known, and many of these truths will make us uncomfortable about our past and about how we are living our lives now. In an article about reparations from a couple of years back, a former colleague from the Atlanta area, Rev. Nibs Stroupe, wrote, “The consideration of reparations requires us to swim against the stream of the idea of individual achievement. This idea emphasizes that if one has ‘stuff,’ it’s because they’ve worked hard and earned it, while if someone does not have ‘stuff,’ it’s because they’ve been irresponsible and idle.” Our Protestant work ethic and our American capitalist sensibilities are called into question all at once. You can read more of Nibs’ reflections here.

As we continue through this month and as we keep moving forward in learning and having our perspectives transformed as a community, I hope that the gift of understanding our shared history through the experience of Black Americans and the Spirit’s guidance in discussions around ideas like reparations will help to lead us to new places where we can more fully embody the love, peace, and justice of God.

Faithfully,

Dear Friends,

I love that we are people of the Book. On Sundays we have been following the lectionary (prescribed scripture readings for each day) through the book of I Corinthians. When Hardy preached on I Corinthians 13, he talked about love being innately tied to action. The deacons and I have been looking at the book of James which also calls us to live out our faith in very practical ways that allow all — including the disenfranchised — to experience care and respect.

I wonder what other ways you find to immerse yourself or even to just dip your toe into scripture. If you don’t already have a practice that works for you, I’ll just suggest a couple. You can go daily to d365.org for a brief online devotional, or sacredspace.ie for one that is just a tad longer and available in numerous languages. If you’re someone who finds podcasts more accessible, you might like to download the Pray As You Go app.

There are many ways to feed our hearts and spirits, so I’m not saying these are the only or the best. I just think that if you’re looking for a place to start a habit of prayer and reflection, these are some good places to try out.

I look forward to worshiping with you soon,

Peace,