Sunday Musings - June 12, 2022
What if?
As we approach Juneteenth or Freedom Day commemorating the official end of slavery in the United States there will be many celebrations in the African American community declaring their resolve to make the end of slavery in all its forms manifest reality. Reparations and other tangible symbols of sincere amends are not manifest reality despite token gestures by some communities. We have seen in the year 2022 a continuation of the roll back of voting rights, redrawing of voting districts to lessen the power of African American Communities, a continuation of the killing of African American Males, a tightening of the attachment to guns, including assault rifles, and the continued enslavement/imprisoning of men and women of all races but particularly poor people which includes a high percentage of African Americans. The number of organizations composed of Caucasians who are willing to fight for their belief that their rights are more important than those of non-white citizens is long and growing. Ever increasing is the number of those who self-identify as Christians. Jews or Muslims and who believe they are the chosen ones; who openly embrace a supporting concept of God, who oppose reparations and interpret Black Lives Matter as anti-white. If one listens to talk radio one can tune in to any number of programs led by self-identified Christians who openly support anti-black policies.
The 1%, including the CEO of Amazon and Starbucks, oppose the formation of unions by their employees.
There are increasing restrictions of what history can be taught in schools; of any acknowledgment that sexual orientation is clear for many at a very young age. The belief that one teaches skills without acknowledging that skills are only useful if we use them to create a more loving, just world is accepted as fact
One could fill volumes with examples of our humanness; of our insecurity as humans and our attempts to be more than, greater than, richer than just so we can feel we matter. We could fill volumes with examples of mistakes or outright mistreatment of “others”. Obviously, none of this is a secret. Neither is the history of overt and covert slavery - keeping people in a one down positions so that others can benefit. We know that economic injustice, punishing and jailing for symptoms, covert and indirect support of the drug cartels hurts all of us in the long run.
Many Christians will go to church and repeat the lines from the prayer from the Book of Common Worship:
“Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous and sober life. To the Glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
Yet, and yet, once we leave our church, we find it impossible to face the nitty gritty details of the ways we have hurt and continue to hurt/harm each other and Mother Earth. We know race and a myriad of other labels are artificial constructs created to justify our mistreatment of each other and Mother Earth. We know racism is alive and strong. We know women continue to earn less than men for the same jobs. We know that how we love is more important than who we love. We know that no sane person would face blatant discrimination to claim a gender other than what they been assigned unless they were sure of who there are. We know that no one needs huge salaries while others struggle just to survive. We know these things and more and, yet we find it hard to live out whatever version of the above prayers our particular moral code or religious beliefs dictates.
I am reminded of the famous example pf “The Emperor has no Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen. It is an apt reminder and metaphor for the difficulty we humans have in being repentant - in admitting and making amends for our sins - in doing all we can to ensure that stolen resources are returned and we move forward to a more equitable sharing of all resources.
If unable to live this prayer lets insist on a new prayer which reflects how we live our lives in the larger body politic. Yet, in our heart of hearts we must know that it is time to walk the talk; to embrace the truth that unless there is justice for all there is no justice. Let us embrace the truth that we are strong and brace enough to confess our sins in word and deed; to embrace our humanness and the fact it is only when we admit and learn from our “sins” that we can move forward; that we can only move forward when we all move together.
Written June 12, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
What if?
As we approach Juneteenth or Freedom Day commemorating the official end of slavery in the United States there will be many celebrations in the African American community declaring their resolve to make the end of slavery in all its forms manifest reality. Reparations and other tangible symbols of sincere amends are not manifest reality despite token gestures by some communities. We have seen in the year 2022 a continuation of the roll back of voting rights, redrawing of voting districts to lessen the power of African American Communities, a continuation of the killing of African American Males, a tightening of the attachment to guns, including assault rifles, and the continued enslavement/imprisoning of men and women of all races but particularly poor people which includes a high percentage of African Americans. The number of organizations composed of Caucasians who are willing to fight for their belief that their rights are more important than those of non-white citizens is long and growing. Ever increasing is the number of those who self-identify as Christians. Jews or Muslims and who believe they are the chosen ones; who openly embrace a supporting concept of God, who oppose reparations and interpret Black Lives Matter as anti-white. If one listens to talk radio one can tune in to any number of programs led by self-identified Christians who openly support anti-black policies.
The 1%, including the CEO of Amazon and Starbucks, oppose the formation of unions by their employees.
There are increasing restrictions of what history can be taught in schools; of any acknowledgment that sexual orientation is clear for many at a very young age. The belief that one teaches skills without acknowledging that skills are only useful if we use them to create a more loving, just world is accepted as fact
One could fill volumes with examples of our humanness; of our insecurity as humans and our attempts to be more than, greater than, richer than just so we can feel we matter. We could fill volumes with examples of mistakes or outright mistreatment of “others”. Obviously, none of this is a secret. Neither is the history of overt and covert slavery - keeping people in a one down positions so that others can benefit. We know that economic injustice, punishing and jailing for symptoms, covert and indirect support of the drug cartels hurts all of us in the long run.
Many Christians will go to church and repeat the lines from the prayer from the Book of Common Worship:
“Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous and sober life. To the Glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
Yet, and yet, once we leave our church, we find it impossible to face the nitty gritty details of the ways we have hurt and continue to hurt/harm each other and Mother Earth. We know race and a myriad of other labels are artificial constructs created to justify our mistreatment of each other and Mother Earth. We know racism is alive and strong. We know women continue to earn less than men for the same jobs. We know that how we love is more important than who we love. We know that no sane person would face blatant discrimination to claim a gender other than what they been assigned unless they were sure of who there are. We know that no one needs huge salaries while others struggle just to survive. We know these things and more and, yet we find it hard to live out whatever version of the above prayers our particular moral code or religious beliefs dictates.
I am reminded of the famous example pf “The Emperor has no Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen. It is an apt reminder and metaphor for the difficulty we humans have in being repentant - in admitting and making amends for our sins - in doing all we can to ensure that stolen resources are returned and we move forward to a more equitable sharing of all resources.
If unable to live this prayer lets insist on a new prayer which reflects how we live our lives in the larger body politic. Yet, in our heart of hearts we must know that it is time to walk the talk; to embrace the truth that unless there is justice for all there is no justice. Let us embrace the truth that we are strong and brace enough to confess our sins in word and deed; to embrace our humanness and the fact it is only when we admit and learn from our “sins” that we can move forward; that we can only move forward when we all move together.
Written June 12, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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