“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Those words from Paul to the church in Rome fit right in with my decision to share this UCC pastoral letter with you. It addresses an evil, the evil idea of white supremacy.
Psalm 26
1 Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. 2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and mind. 3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you. 4 I do not sit with the worthless, nor do I consort with hypocrites; 5 I hate the company of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. 6 I wash my hands in innocence, and go around your altar, O LORD, 7 singing aloud a song of thanksgiving, and telling all your wondrous deeds. 8 O LORD, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides.
Romans 12:9-21
9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ 20 No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Spoken words for “UCC Pastoral Letter on Charlottesville VA” by Rev KellyAnn Donahue
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O God, our strength and our redeemer. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Those words from Paul to the church in Rome fit right in with my decision to share this UCC pastoral letter with you. It addresses an evil, the evil idea of white supremacy. Our national church reacts daily to current events, using its website and press releases. A pastoral letter, I think, stands out a bit from the usual reactions. I see it as something I needed to share in our Sunday Worship time, and not just post a link to in on our website, or copy it into the next edition of the Echo Newsletter. Here are the words of that letter, with my insertion of the relevant date.
Last weekend (August 12, 2017), a group of white supremacists came to Charlottesville, Virginia, and incited violence to protest the removal of a Confederate monument. Although protest is the bedrock of our nation’s democracy, coming in riot gear proves that they intended to do more than simply protest.
We, the Council of Conference Ministers and Officers of the United Church of Christ, strongly condemn the acts of violent hatred expressed by these white supremacists, Neo-Nazis, and Ku Klux Klan members. Their white robes and burning crosses were replaced with polo shirts, khakis, and tiki torches, while their lynching was replaced with a speeding car barreling through a group of peaceful protesters with the intention of harming and killing others, which it did. Their vitriolic hatred is the same.
We confess that the events of Charlottesville are systemic and communal expressions of white privilege and racism that continues to pervade our nation’s spiritual ethos. And if we only condemn the acts of August 12, 2017, without condemning the roots of racism, which perpetuate discrimination in our American schools, justice system, business, and healthcare systems, then we have sinned as well. We must work toward the Kin-dom of Heaven here on earth now for the sake of a just world for all.
We do this by committing to follow the ways of Jesus, who stood with the oppressed, spoke out against political and religious powers, and courageously embodied a just world for all as he sought to create it. Today, we must follow the ways of Jesus in addressing the hatred of white supremacists and racists among us.
Our local UCC churches must be true solidarity partners with those who march in the streets. Our UCC churches are encouraged to move from the sanctuary and walk alongside other clergy and community leaders who seek to resist, agitate, inform, and comfort. We must resist hatred and violence. We must also agitate ourselves, and our neighbors to acknowledge any racism within or among us. We must inform ourselves, and our neighbors what our sacred stories reveal to us of a just world for all. We must lament and grieve with those who are injured or murdered during violent confrontations with those who mean us harm. And we must comfort those who have been discriminated against with the transformative love of God.
As we go forward, let us model the legacy of activism through our sacred call given to us by our UCC ancestors: May we be prophetic truth-tellers like our Congregational Christian forebears, who marched in public squares demanding equality for all. May we serve others, and remain faithful witnesses like our Evangelical and Reformed forebears, who tended to the needs of the forgotten. And may we be courageous like our non-UCC forebears, who left their spiritual home and joined the UCC in order to fully live out who God created them to be.
In the days to come, may God’s truth, mission, and courage be our guide to embodying the Kin-dom of Heaven here on earth.
I do know one of the UCC ministers who were part of the counter protests in Charlottesville. The Rev Kelly Gallagher presided at my Ordination in November of 2016. She said that clergy were aware of the planned rally and she attended a training session on Friday to prepare counter-protestors to “stand in the face of violence, how to protect our body and the bodies of others from violence, how to hold the line”. She shared words from Brittany Caine-Conley, which help to explain why anyone would want to be at a potentially violent rally. “(Brittany) felt called to put her body in a place where it could absorb some of the hate and violence so that black and brown bodies didn’t have to, because they have been absorbing the violence for so long. That is what Jesus did, she said. He absorbed the hate and evil of the world-and gave back love.”
I am not sure I am called to be at the next rally. I feel some distance from the feelings that Kelly and Brittany expressed. What I do feel is that Jesus did absorb that hate and evil in the world as he was crucified, and that all he ever gave back was love. If I say I follow Jesus, I can at least give back love where I see or feel hate. One way to do that is to share this pastoral letter. Another way is to care for others, whether they look like me or not. The differences I see should not prevent me from caring. As Paul said in our second reading, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” What does he mean by this? I think that the good deeds take our enemies by surprise and get their attention, like hot coals or a burn from a stove would get their attention. Once the enemy is paying attention, a lesson can be learned and perhaps behavior will change. My care of an enemy or of someone who does not expect my care may influence that person to care about others, in ways he or she might not have done before. Caring for others works to spread the Kingdom of God.
There are always opportunities for us to care for others. This week we watched or heard of so many who need care after Hurricane Harvey. We watched as people rescued those who came in all shapes, sizes and colors. It is hard to watch the suffering, yet hopeful to watch the responses and the determination. The hope and help has pushed the hate out of the news cycle. May we see others with compassion and love, and help as we are able, now and always.
© Rev KellyAnn Donahue