But what can we do?
A compilation of ideas that emerged from the 7th annual Kingdom Justice Summit.
By Phil Haslanger
Collaboration Project Story Team
Over the course of the six hours of the Kingdom Justice Summit on Feb. 27, there were powerful expressions of lament about the experiences of Black people and other people of color. There were stirring challenges to action.
Within those moments, though, there were also ideas for what churches and individuals could do to move the community closer to the kind of justice God envisions for our world. Here are a few of the ideas.
Hear the laments. Yes, it’s hard to hear what others suffer, but it is an important starting point. Poet Matthew Charles said, “I’ve been hiding my lament from the church for too long.” First, the church needs to make sure it is not the cause of the lament. Then it needs to make sure there is a safe space for that lament to be given voice. Also, said Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen, take time for your laments, whether with journaling or prayer or reading the Psalms, which are masterpieces of lamentation. And Rev. Lilada Gee said she looks to the churches for compassion: “I dread that the white church has not heard the laments of the Black people in Madison.”
Build relationships across cultures. This was a recurring theme. “Get to know your neighbor,” urged Jessie Cavazos from the Latino Chamber of Commerce. “Lean in and understand what the lament is,” suggested Rev. Dr. Alex Gee. “Ask God to open our hearts.”
Hope is more than giving money. Allen emphasized that while giving people financial assistance is important, “how do I really connect with you, find your needs? Money only lasts for a little while, the hope we are giving should be long lasting.”
Interrupt racist rhetoric. When you are in a situation where people are putting down people of color, even in subtle ways, look for opportunities to change the narrative. “We need our white brothers and sisters to help us with this fight,” said Vanessa McDowell, CEO of the YWCA. “We are asking you to do what we have been doing for centuries.”
Unite the churches for action: This has been a continuing theme for Allen as the president of the African American Council of Churches. “Until the universal church truly operates in unity,” he said, “the world will be in chaos.” That means using the corporate voice of the church to address the disparities in education and health care and housing and so many other issues. If the church collectively is speaking on an issue, that amplifies the message. Allen advised: “Use the skills and strengths each have and let’s not try to do all things. We are all going in same direction but doing different things. Do not worry about who is getting the credit.” Cavazos of the Latino Chamber urged support from churches for immigration reform.
Learn history. Alex Gee has developed a popular “Black History for a New Day” class that this Spring is engaging some 1,600 people in learning about our collective past. “People who were oppressed in Europe came here and oppressed people,” he said. “I need the broader church to understand its history… When do we begin to untangle what we tangled up?”
Be observant. Alex Gee offered this challenge: “Anybody who’s hungry for God’s justice will look around to see who is not at the table.” That could be in church, in the workplace, in the corridors of political power, in our social gatherings.
Work to change systems that are unjust. Another quote from Alex Gee: “We’re not called just to make sandwiches. We’re called to fix the scales that measure the meat.” McDowell said: “Systems are set up to make people of color fail. A mission for us to tear down those systems that are created to hold us back. You can’t build on a bad foundation. Go back to the real history of America. Talk about what went wrong, acknowledge them, address them.”
Support police reform: A continuing theme in Lilada Gee’s painfilled expressions of hope – her hope that neither her son nor her daughter nor she would be killed by the police – underscored the need for white people to be committed to a police force that serves rather than dominates the public.
Give without strings. McDowell talked about the surprise donation from McKenzie Scott to the YWCA at the end of last year – a huge donation that came with no strings attached. Unrestricted gifts to Black led organizations, McDowell said, “means you trust me, you trust my leadership.” She also talked about the need to find ways to transfer wealth to the Black community through things like home ownership. (One model of what a church is doing in this area came up in a discussion group. Here’s a link to “Justice Deposits.”)
Stand with communities of color. McDowell also wondered if white people would have been willing to surround the YWCA with a circle of protection when white supremacist protesters were gathering at the Capitol – just across the street. She talked about the impressive turnout of white people at the march of 10,000 people from faith communities after the murder of George Floyd. Be more than an ally, she said. Be a co-conspirator with Black people – a posture that suggests action.
Don’t forget about God, Jesus and prayer. McDowell said that “There is something about the power of God that is present when we come together.” She referred to the Biblical story of Paul and Silas in prison when the jail broke open. She talked about that march last June when churches came together after the murder of George Floyd, “I could feel the presence of God in that space,” she said. “From the call of that particular march, things have already happened.” And as Alexandrea Cordell reminded folks in her closing song, “Every Piece.” You called me to do great things…Every little piece of me comes from you .
And a question from the audience:
When you walk into a church, what would you see that told you that this church cared about Kingdom Justice?
Lilada Gee: “Nothing – I will see it outside of those walls.”
Alex Gee: “If you need to walk into the church to see it, it’s not there.”
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