Dear St. John's Community,
On the street in front of St. John's this week I heard the words of a Sam Cooke song:
It's been a long
A long time comin'
But I know
A change gonna come!
He wrote that song after an experience when he and his wife were refused a room at a hotel in Shreveport, LA because they were black. The song was released in 1964, and before the end of that year he was dead at the age of 33 by a gunshot wound in mysterious circumstances.
While the song has an urgent message—blending hurt and hope—56 years later it doesn't feel like the change he longed for is coming any time soon, when so much hurt remains, and deaths like that of George Floyd are coming in an unrelenting stream.
A sign that stood out to me this week said, "We didn't make it this far to only make it this far." Those words speak volumes.
We know that Jesus taught us to love and forgive radically. We know that God loves all of God's children completely and without exception. Affirming these truths are easy on the lips of most Christians. They are an important starting point.
But what we also need to recognize is that Jesus died in order for us to live. The way of resurrection means that something has to die for something new to be born.
As individuals, and as members of institutions—including the church—it is time for some self-examination. To what do we want to give new life? What will need to die in order for that to happen? This is the only way for change to come. God will be in it with us, but God will not do it for us.
St. John's is a living and breathing community that loves to serve others. We have also grown in our commitment to social justice greatly over the years.
And yet we as a church still benefit from a long and privileged heritage. I believe it is time to start asking the question: Where can we divest our privilege to lift up others?
This week, admittedly, has been frantic for the staff, clergy and leadership of St. John's. We are taking things step by step because we have to. But already, there has been creative conversation about programatic initiatives we can launch to educate our St. John's community, to engage more deeply with our neighbors across cultural divides, and, I pray, to guide us so that we will not just talk about change but be part of the change that we dream will come.
I am grateful that we are a much more diverse community than St. John's was in the past. Today, for those of us who are white, it is essential to really listen to our black brothers and sisters.
We're talking about injustice that has been rooted in our soil for 400 years. It really has been a long time coming.
A change will come, and the Lord has given us a chance to be part of it.
Yours in faith,
Rob+
PS: These updates and reflections from me will continue, but a little less frequently. Thank you for reading!
***
Tomorrow:
The service for Trinity Sunday will be found
here
. It will post at midnight tonight.
Also, at 11:00 am in front of St. John’s we will gather for prayer and witness.
We are honored that Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Paula Clark, has agreed to join me in leading us in prayer
as we ask God’s blessing on those demonstrating against injustice. We will remain in front of the church in witness through the early afternoon, offering prayer at regular intervals. For those who would like to watch but cannot be there in person, we plan to stream this on our
Facebook page
.
We are of course continuing our ministry of presence and prayer with clergy and laity in front of the church.
All volunteers should wear masks and maintain social distancing. We also recommend everyone bring water, sunscreen, and to fully charge your phones beforehand. Clergy are encouraged to wear collars. We also invite you make a sign you can hold in solidarity with those demonstrating.
We welcome donations of water or non-perishable snacks, but donations are not required.
Your presence and prayers are a powerful witness we can offer in support of justice, love, and healing which we expect to continue throughout the day.
