Today, Marvin and I leave for St. Louis to connect with the community of Marion, Illinois. We will present and engage with four gatherings on our personal lives and our work with DOOR Hollywood around setting tables towards racial reconciliation. We recognize this to be a long, committed process, one that doesn't get solved at one presentation, but over years of developing relationships built on faith, trust, repentance (especially for those of us who can count our race as being amongst the most privileged) and forgiveness. But many people are afraid to even try to begin the first conversations. And this is where we start. The Bible has all kinds of stories, parables, and verses around why this is important, and Marvin and I firmly believe the church must be on the front lines of engaging these moments of dialogue and fellowship.
And we need your help to develop some of our content. Could you please answer these two questions? Feel free to do so either through an anonymous post below, emailing us personally, or bravely posting with your name below. We know this requires vulnerability, so know in advance that we deeply appreciate your willingness:
Describe a time when you've been personally hurt by someone from another race: either through something overtly and obviously racist, or through something more subtle, systemic, or what some people call these days, micro-aggressions.
Is there a time when you've been personally blessed by someone from another race? If you're willing, can you share whether or not your were surprised by that blessing?
What is a question you'd like to ask someone of a race different than yours, but you hesitate because you are afraid you might ask the question "wrong," worried you might be seen as offensive or ignorant.
Thank you everyone. Together, may we move the church towards a stronger expression of the Beloved Community that God always intended for us.
-Matthew
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| If you're anywhere near St. Louis, MO, come on out this week. |
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| an opportunity through the PCUSA for 18-30 year olds |
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