How can we help bring justice and hope?
As we see in the news and on the streets that our black and brown brothers and sisters continue to be brutalized by police and the justice system, we are left in anger and despair. What can we do? How can we help bring justice and hope?
One way Gladers are responding is by participating in conversations concerning white privilege. This spring a large number of us completed a six week dialogue from curriculum provided by the UCC. It helped us understand what white privilege is and showed us that privilege plays out in every aspect of our society, including the education, justice, and economic systems in our country.
When we finished the curriculum, we wanted to continue the conversation, continue our own introspection, continue to challenge ourselves to change how we live. So, beginning on Tuesday, September 8, we will read a book a month and then have a discussion about the book. The first book is How to Be an Antiracist by Ibrahm Kendi. The books for the rest of the year to be discussed on the fourth Tuesday of the month are: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, Sula by Toni Morrison and The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson.
On the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30, we will share in conversation with some of our black brothers and sisters. These folks include one of Susan Verbrugge’s neighbors who is an ordained pastor, a local doctor, one of Denise Dodd’s friends who is UCC minister, and two folks from the Central Atlantic Conference of the UCC.
We hope that all of these conversations will lead us to see ourselves as we really are, to move more toward wholeness in ourselves and in our society, and show us the way we need to go to be a part of the justice and hope of Jesus Christ in our community and in our world.
If you would like to join the conversations, please contact Susan at pastorsusan@gladeucc.org. She can provide you with the Zoom link for the conversations.
