July 6, 2020

 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I do wonder, as I write this to you today whether my ears will still be ringing tonight with the sounds of fireworks. I’ll admit that I’m looking forward, with great hope, for a quiet evening, after a steady continuum of nightly fireworks since last Thursday night. Yet, my personal desire for quiet is balanced with an appreciation for our traditional Fourth of July celebration: the marking of time on this, the 244th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence and the historic signing of our Nation’s aspirational and revolutionary goals stating our desire to be that place of freedom and liberty for all.

But we’re not there yet. Not as individuals, nor as a Nation. We know the COVID-19 virus is having a far greater toll on the black, brown, and indigenous communities within our country. We know of the protests and unrest in our streets, as many seek equity for our brothers and sisters of color. And we know there are no simple answers to complex issues. Yet, we have all stood and said together the words of our Baptismal Covenant: that as Christ’s own, we are called to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves; and we will strive for justice and peace among people, respecting the dignity of every human being.

One way to strive for justice is to take that bold step to listen to voices that are not our own and examine some of the hard truths of which we may be unaware. And it’s in that light that we’ll begin a book study on Monday 7/13 of Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.

 This book is an unforgettable true story about the redeeming potential of mercy by the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending the poor, the wrongly condemned, and those trapped in the furthest reaches of our criminal justice system. As Bryan Stevenson says, “the true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.”

 Our time together will be a time of truth-telling, exploration, and civil candor, as we take the chance within community to break open our hearts to truths that may not be our own, but that can lead us to better understand what it means to walk in Jesus’ way of love.

 This 5-week virtual book study begins on Monday, 7/13 at 4:00 pm. Just Mercy is readily available on www.amazon.com or at your local bookstore, and I do have a couple of extra copies available as well, should anyone need one.

 The Zoom link for our class is: https://zoom.us/j/9247108920

I do hope you will join us!

 Blessings,

 Mother Bonnie+

 P. S. Our first week will cover pages 3-66 of the book, the Introduction, through Chapter 3.