"A person will never be able to love their neighbor as themselves until they decide that they are against racism."
February 27, 2023
Bishop Tom Berlin
We are coming to the end of Black History Month as the days of February rapidly pass. I found it an opportune time to sign The Florida Conference Anti-Racist Pledge. I did this to join members of The Florida Conference in their desire to create a beloved community where all are appreciated, valued and where diversity in our membership is seen as a source of strength. Those who have earlier signed their names understand that this is something one does when they want to love God in a deeper way. The work involved in keeping such a pledge is essential if we are to strive for the most essential aspect of our faith in Christ, which John Wesley called entire sanctification. Those of us in the Wesleyan family believe that an initial commitment to follow Christ is only as important as our desire to pursue that commitment for the rest of our lives so that we can grow in the love and likeness of Jesus Christ. Our hope is nothing short of full sanctification, the grace and love of Christ finishing its transformation. Sanctifying grace enables us to move from the people we once were without Jesus to beauty we offer when Jesus is fully our Savior and Lord.
It feels appropriate to sign this pledge in February, which is Black History Month. While learning about Black men and women who have contributed to our country is not just a February activity, the month does draw our attention to this aspect of our shared history. It is an opportunity to consider how the injustices found in our nation’s history uniquely impact African-Americans and persons of color. Much of this at a social level. It can also be personal. A few years ago, I wrote Reckless Love: Jesus’ Call
to Love Your Neighbor. Research for that book into my family history, the community where I grew up, and the state in which I lived all pointed to the fact that I was a person who benefitted greatly from being white. I discovered that some of my past relatives had enslaved black men and women to work without payment on their farms and blacksmith shops. Tax records demonstrated that these persons were assigned a monetary value. Taxes were paid accordingly. None of this was ever discussed in the family histories, genealogies or even in stories told about years past by my family members. It was amazing to me that in only three generations our family had developed amnesia of such important matters. Like most things related to race in America, you must dig deeper to understand the real history that has brought you to the present.
When this news was shared at a family gathering, some were neutral, while others were personally saddened. A few responded that they didn’t feel bad about something a distant relative did over 100 years ago. One who was saddened by this information said, “Well, I do feel sad about that, even if I did not do it. And I am sorry our family benefitted from the institution of slavery no matter when it occurred. And I am just fine with feeling sad about it.”
She captured my own feelings well. I found the awareness of our family history helpful even as I find knowledge of the broader history of people of color in our nation to be critical to understand where we are in the present. It is essential if we are help create a world where God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31, NRSV)
A person will never be able to love their neighbor as themselves until they decide that they are against racism. Such a pledge can motivate us to learn our neighbor’s history, care about its impact on our neighbor’s life and long for equity and opportunity for all people in our communities and nation. It is an invitation to examine our personal beliefs, behaviors, and actions. Our Lord knows that we must examine ourselves closely if we are to progress in his way of love. This pledge can motivate us to celebrate our neighbor’s successes and accomplishments and respond when our neighbor is in distress. It can lead us to focus on making the future different from the past. I want you to know that I join you in this work, and that I think it is important if God’s grace is to be fully present in my life, and yours.
It feels appropriate to sign this pledge in February, which is Black History Month. While learning about Black men and women who have contributed to our country is not just a February activity, the month does draw our attention to this aspect of our shared history. It is an opportunity to consider how the injustices found in our nation’s history uniquely impact African-Americans and persons of color. Much of this at a social level. It can also be personal. A few years ago, I wrote Reckless Love: Jesus’ Call
| To join us on our journey of becoming an anti-racist Conference, click here to take the pledge! |
When this news was shared at a family gathering, some were neutral, while others were personally saddened. A few responded that they didn’t feel bad about something a distant relative did over 100 years ago. One who was saddened by this information said, “Well, I do feel sad about that, even if I did not do it. And I am sorry our family benefitted from the institution of slavery no matter when it occurred. And I am just fine with feeling sad about it.”
She captured my own feelings well. I found the awareness of our family history helpful even as I find knowledge of the broader history of people of color in our nation to be critical to understand where we are in the present. It is essential if we are help create a world where God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31, NRSV)
A person will never be able to love their neighbor as themselves until they decide that they are against racism. Such a pledge can motivate us to learn our neighbor’s history, care about its impact on our neighbor’s life and long for equity and opportunity for all people in our communities and nation. It is an invitation to examine our personal beliefs, behaviors, and actions. Our Lord knows that we must examine ourselves closely if we are to progress in his way of love. This pledge can motivate us to celebrate our neighbor’s successes and accomplishments and respond when our neighbor is in distress. It can lead us to focus on making the future different from the past. I want you to know that I join you in this work, and that I think it is important if God’s grace is to be fully present in my life, and yours.