June 1, 2020

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Yesterday we celebrated Pentecost and the wild-ness of the Holy Spirit as she jettisoned the disciples out of their closed room and back into the world to share Christ’s love. Pentecost is also a Sunday when we renew our baptismal vows, promising once again to seek and serve Christ in all persons; to love our neighbor as ourselves; to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being.

I love this time of recommitment, for it provides that space to proclaim what it means to walk in Jesus’ way of love. And right now we do need to recommit, for, in the midst of facing a  pandemic, we’re now also facing the truth of the deep-seated racism that still exists within our nation.

I've struggled this week with images and stories of our human sin. Like many of you, I’ve been heartbroken watching the last moments of George Floyd’s life, a man who was inhumanely pinned to the ground, as he cried out that he could not breathe. I’ve struggled knowing this incident of injustice is not alone, for it comes after seeing the confrontation between a white woman and an African-American birdwatcher in Central Park; in the video of Ahmaud Arbery, shot while jogging in Brunswick, Georgia; in the death of Breonna Taylor, an EMT in Louisville; and the tragic reality that the ongoing COVID-19 deaths disproportionately affect communities of color.

Violence is never the answer, but neither is accepting injustice in silence. As our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry has said,” Real love is the dogged commitment to live my life in the most unselfish, even sacrificial ways: to love God, love my neighbor, love the earth and truly love myself. Perhaps most difficult in times like this, it is even love for my enemy.”

There is another way — to love like Jesus, compassionately caring for others as well as ourselves. We can learn and pray and act, opening our hearts to do the hard work of striving for justice and healing and truth-telling.

This evening, Dr. Catherine Meeks, the Executive Directors of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing and Reconciliation is hosting, with The Reverend Ed Bacon, the interim rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, a live stream broadcasting of A Time of Lament at 7:30 p.m. This is a time to come together to grieve, to lament, and to acknowledge the tragic events that are occurring around us. It’s a time to open ourselves to the power of God’s love, as we join together in prayer and ask for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, lead us, and guide us to address the inequities in the world around us, through the power of love.

I invite you to join me in this vigil, tonight at 7:30 p.m.  Here’s where you can find the link to the service:

Facebook Event Page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/720756412010399/

St. Luke’s webpage that will house the live stream:

https://www.stlukesatlanta.org/time-of-lament.html

Let us come together in the ways that lead to healing, justice, and love.

Blessings,

Mother Bonnie+