Dear Friends and Friends of St. Mark's,
You may have heard that we found a symbol of racialized hatred in our courtyard this morning. A noose was hung from one of the trees in the yard.
I immediately came down to the church, calling the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Religious Affairs, The Reverend Thomas L. Bowen, Lt. David Hong from the Special Liaison Branch (SLB) Metro police, and our Bishop, Mariann Budde. As soon as I arrived, we made a full report.
After the police technicians took it down, the Bishop, Jeff Kempskie, the police officer, I, and others prayed around the tree, reconsecrating the space and blessing the tree and the sacred space of our church. That symbol of hatred has no place in our churchyard, in our city, or our country. I know that this symbol causes fear in people people's hearts.
It has instead had people reach out to us in overwhelming ways. Our neighbors have stopped by to check in. We have received phone calls from allies in the work of racial justice: WIN, Everyone Home DC, Newtown Action Alliance, and other Episcopal churches. Past parishioners from all over the country have checked in, asking if they can do something. I received a call from a woman who is willing to stop by and check on the church and another who is ready to come and walk people to their cars. Signs have started to appear on our fence in support, and it continues.
Our commitment to seeing everyone as a beloved child of God remains.
We will seek and serve Christ in all persons, and we will continue to do our work to bring more light, more love, and more God into the world.
Faithfully yours,
Michele
