Pastoral Letter June 2, 2020

Dearly beloved sisters and brothers in Christ,

As I was reading the Letter of Paul to the Church at Philippi, I became convicted that I needed to send out my own “pastoral” letter.  I do not take the magnitude of this moment lightly.  As I read and prayed, I kept asking myself, why now?  What is it about this moment that has finally gotten people to sit up and take notice?  It is not like George Floyd’s death was unusual.  Police killing black men has been going on since the founding of our country, and we (me) have generally shrugged our shoulders, said “what can we do”, and moved on.  But not this time - what has changed?

Actually, I believe the tipping point was not George Floyd’s lynching, but the event that took place on Memorial Day in Central park, when Amy Cooper called the police to report she was being threatened by “an African American man.”  For whatever reason, watching her use her privilege to try and intimidate Christian Cooper who was birdwatching seems to be the spark to the fire.  When George Floyd was murdered, and we all got to watch, everything seemed to explode.

I cannot even begin to imagine what it is like to grow up black in the United States.  I have told you the story before of me inviting a fellow student to come and preach at my student appointment and his response: “Are you stupid?”  Naive is more the word. I grew up trying to be friends with all people and not worrying if it was right or wrong.  I was (am) stupid.  Until I recognize how privileged I am to have grown up in what has been the greatest country in the world, I have no need to change.  All those subtlety taught messages must be acknowledged.

I don’t know the answer, but as long as we continue to shift the blame, focus on the few who are inciting violence and fail to keep our eyes on the systemic injustices that continue, we will never move forward.  I object to the destruction of property, but I object even more to the destruction of lives that our society continues to support.

We need to pray that our national leaders listen and understand what this crisis is all about and seek peaceful and conciliatory ways of helping all of us find a solution.  Our nation is being ripped apart, not by the George Floyds, Ahmaud Arberys, Breonna Taylors or the many others we could add to this list, but by the power structures that are doing their best to stop change from happening.  We need to pray for Governor Holcomb, and Mayor Hogsett that they will provide sound and compassionate leadership and not allow tone deaf responses to win the day.  But we also need to pray for ourselves.  If I could have figured out a way I would have gotten down on my knees Sunday morning and invited you to do the same.  I invite you to do that now.  Ask God to transform your heart - and if you are not sure you need to, please pray even harder (like I intend to do).

There are no easy solutions, but as Christians, and as a people called Methodist who “recognize racism as sin and affirm the ultimate and temporal worth of all persons…we commit as the Church to move beyond symbolic expressions and representative models that do not challenge unjust systems of power and access.” (The 2016 Book of Discipline)  There are many things I could suggest that we each do, but I am convinced that until we look inside our own hearts (really look inside) and recognize our personal failings, then our actions will not mirror our hearts.

No one ever said that being a follower of Jesus was easy, but it is the only way forward, living in the mercy and grace of a God who calls us to love our neighbor.  May God give us the courage to stand up in this moment.

Rev. Steven M. Conger