Dear Guests of Cohort Week 6,
At Holden we practice being a community of care where people see their lives and all of life as inextricably connected. Our commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion calls us to become, together, the community for which God longs.
Last week, while you were here, there were several incidents of vandalism and property destruction here in the Village, including stolen lightbulbs in the Pool Hall, destruction of the bowling alley duster, lotion dumped in bins in the clothing exchange area, and more.
On Friday night, one incident of graffiti across the keys of a piano contained racial slurs and profanity. Holden Village strongly condemns hate speech in all forms and does not tolerate harassment.
We are deeply saddened by the physical and emotional harm that this vandalism caused, particularly to people of color in our community. We all have a responsibility to live out Holden’s mission as a courageous community that welcomes all people into the wilderness to form and renew their relationships with God, the earth, and each other.
It can be tempting to think of Holden as a perfect place apart from the larger human struggles of the world and this nation. We aren’t! We are human and imperfect and as people of faith invited and called into the struggle.
Furthermore, as a largely white space that works to create a safe place for our siblings of color to play and rest and commune, incidents like this remind us of how much work we have to do to become the community for which God longs.
Our celebration of Jubilee demands that all of God’s creation are cared for in our midst. We are grateful that we get to do this work with you.
Please pass information along to other people on your reservation – we only have the email addresses of the person who made your reservation. We encourage you to discuss and process how you respond to this incident with your travel companions.
Sincerely,
Stacy Kitahata, Mark Bach, Kathie Bach
Holden Village Executive Directors
For the sake of Justice, Holden is called to
Foster Diversity through deliberate invitation and welcome;
Deploy an ethic of Equity to confront and dismantle systemic oppression; and
Practice Inclusion by listening to, learning from, and being transformed by marginalized voices
In order to become, together, the community for which God longs.
