On Racism and Injustice

A letter from Lazarus House in a time of outrage, frustration and hope

Jesus taught us that the two greatest commandments are "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27). He was clear that there are no exceptions to that love.

As a Ministry founded on emulating the ways of God and on the call to justice, welcoming all in the name of God, offering kindness, dignity and respect to those who come to our door, we stand against the sins of racism, prejudice, oppression, and social injustice. This is not a fleeting statement. These are the principles and values by which Lazarus House has served the community since opening our doors in 1983. We believe in the sanctity of every human life and interconnectedness of all people.

We are, at the same time, aware that implicit bias and racism are part of the human condition, leading to systemic racism and other societal issues. We pray to God to help us do better and to give us wisdom and the courage to ask ourselves hard questions that will point out our blind spots, bring to light our unconscious biases, and in the process enable us to dismantle those structures that may perpetuate racism in our Ministry.

Immediately, we commit to:

Listen more intentionally and carefully to our far-reaching Lazarus House Community on the subject of racism, inequality, and injustice and take action to make necessary changes.
Keep racism and social injustice as a regular discussion topic at the staff and Board levels to make necessary changes within the Ministry with our goal being to achieve equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Work with the Greater Lawrence Community to "spread love, not fear."
Strive to diversify the executive staff and board, so that they will come closer to reflecting the Lawrence community and culture that we serve.

We are a diverse family at Lazarus House – a family made up of intricate and beautiful relationships between staff, Guests, donors, and volunteers. We welcome your help, thoughts, ideas, and feedback as we look for ways to combat racism and injustice at home and in our nation.

On behalf of our staff and Board of Directors,

Jeff Hassel

Executive Director

Robin Gorski-Routhier

President, Board of Directors

Our Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for your faithfulness in all circumstances.

In the past two weeks, we have been reminded that we have a long and painful history with the sin of racism. We have far to go to love our neighbors without allowing the color of a person's skin to be a determining factor…in anything.

We pray for the family of George Floyd, his friends, and community; that You bring them peace in a way only you can do. We pray for the police, who risk their lives every day to protect our communities, and for those who are in custody for George Floyd's murder, and all of their families. We pray for our nation, for all who are protesting for equity and justice, and that the truth of this message and the positive call for action it represents not be undermined in any way by abuses of power or by violence.

Lord, we ask you to open our eyes, so we see our biases and the ways we fall short of treating every person with the dignity and respect that is due, as we are all made in Your image. We want to break free from these bonds of racism and commit to striving for this change. We need Your help to guide us to that holy ground on which we practice love of neighbor without color, race, or background being a factor.

Bless our City of Lawrence, our Commonwealth, our nation, and our world.

Lord, we need you now; help us never to despair but to always maintain hope and to love each other in ways that glorify You.

Amen.

LAZARUS HOUSE – A Beacon of Hope in the darkness of poverty and homelessness. Lazarus House helps women, men, and children living in poverty restore their dignity and self-respect. We welcome all who come to our door and offer lifesaving and life-giving services in the areas of food, shelter, clothing, and education.