The UMC Justice Advocacy Following Ferguson

For the last six months, I have been focusing issues of race and racism in our Annual Conference and South Carolina. While unmasking tide of pain and injustice many experienced one thing has become clear racism is thriving. The recent decisions by grand juries in Missouri and New York, as well as concern of ongoing police violence in some communities shows quite clearly something is wrong. There is a word in scripture that says in 1 Corinthians 6:7-8; It has gotten Ugly when folks are burning their own community and have reached a point where they no longer trust the justice or court system and the work of the justice system seems to do more harm them good. Ultimately, we must change justice systems from retributive to restorative. A restorative system seeks the well-being of the whole community rather than retribution through punishment. Restorative justice, as our Social Principles emphasize, "seeks to repair the damage, right the wrong, and bring healing to all involved, including the victim, the offender, the families, and the community" (¶164H “Criminal & Restorative Justice”).

While the focus for the last two weeks has been on the specific racial tensions boiling over in the St. Louis suburbs, Gallup rounded up several years of polling data showing that these stories about black distrust of the police in Ferguson match with broader perceptions among African Americans nationwide. Black Ferguson residents’ lack of faith is representative of broader national attitudes. Gallup finds there's a more-than-2o-point gap between the portion of blacks and whites who mostly trust the police. A racial division is also evident in views of the investigation of Brown's killing and the way police are handling the protests. A new national survey by the Pew Research Center finds 65 percent of blacks think the police response to the Ferguson protests has gone too far, compared to just 33 percent of whites. We have come to point where folks are losing their minds because they Fear for their lives.  Hands up Don’t Shoot only works as a message when the folks using it believe they could be shot if not careful just like Mr. Brown. In an interview with BET, the president described his conversation with a group of young civil rights activists, including a leader of the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, he hosted last week in the Oval Office. Obama told BET 'What I told the young people who I met with, that we're gonna have more conversations like this over the coming months, is this isn't gonna be solved overnight. This is something that is deeply rooted in our society. It's deeply rooted in our history. 'But the two things that are going to allow us to solve it. Number one, is the understanding that we have made progress. And so, it's important to recognize, as painful as these incidents are, we can't equate what is happening now to what was happening 50 years ago. And if you talk to your parents, grandparents, uncles, they'll tell you that things are better. Not good, in some cases, but better.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2864815/Obama-says-racism-deeply-rooted-society.html#ixzz3LQkc2IyW 

We see in the bible in the opening of Habakkuk that “How many times do I have to yell, “Help! Murder! Police!” before you come to the rescue?” Habakkuk sees trouble and sin everywhere, from personal relationships to courts of law. This distresses him so much that he cries out. We are living in a similar culture where the justice system is failing and folks are crying out. I have herd folks say the outrage is not justified, and the riots don’t make sense. They however are missing the fact that folks when the cry out for real are quite often unable to respond logical and rational. As President Obama said went on to say to; 'You know, when you're dealing with something as deeply rooted as racism or bias in any society, you gotta have vigilance, but you have to recognize that it's going to take some time and you just have to be steady - so that you don't give up when we don't get all the way there.'

 Rev. Dr. Pamela R. Lightsey blogged this week I would absolutely LOVE to hear about the monies our church is investing in ending this unfolding horror in Ferguson. I would LOVE to hear what steps we are taking in light of this crisis. Any national agenda? Surely local pastors are committed to ending this atrocity. Is there a word on the tragic death of Black UNARMED citizens? What about the right to life of these several Black folks? Rev. Dr. Pamela R. Lightsey an ordained elder of the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church serving as Associate Dean for Community Life and Lifelong Learning at Boston University School of Theology made these statements in her blog. Her questions are not uncommon among United Methodist in South Carolina and around the connection. She also made the point that Unfortunately, The United Methodist Church has more to say about suicide, ebola, and education than it does about racism. But, er, uh, am I surprised?

I am surprised by all the images of Racism and Racial injustice I have seen in recent weeks. The United Methodist Church in her defense has had some things to say about these injustices. Many of us encountered the statement from the church; In light of recent decisions by grand juries in Missouri and New York, as well as concern of ongoing police violence in some communities, the General Board of Church and Society issues the following statement: Christians are called to witness to the reconciling love of God in Jesus Christ. United Methodists must be an example of social change by creating spaces of honest, faithful dialogue across differences and divides. We call on United Methodists to continue to seek racial reconciliation, to recognize and affirm the sacredness of all people. Further, we acknowledge the pain and death that black men and their families are suffering. See more https://umc-gbcs.org/faith-in-action/repent-reconcile-restore

There are raging tides that drown racism, oppression, discrimination of any kind. God alone controls the rushing waters of justice. Deep in those waters in 1966, a clergy person who practiced non-violence named Dr. King reminded us that  "a riot is the language of the unheard."

The next Michael Brown is attending school this morning in your local community. He is one of your many neighbors who the system does not work to serve and protect. If you want to do justice, listen and help stories of oppression and injustice be heard. Don't fool yourself into believing that we will ever achieve full inclusion in The UMC by ignoring Michael Brown.

Another United Methodist Rev. David Meredith Blogged in  “A pastor's reflection on Eric Garner's death and a jury's decision not to indict” My heart breaks. My memory fills with years of injustices. My prayer becomes the words of the Psalmist, “How long, O Lord, how long?” My moistened cheeks hope, distant but not deferred. I blame it on Jesus and John Wesley. If they hadn’t opened my eyes and heart to the inseparability of personal holiness and social holiness, this wouldn’t bother me. If they hadn’t compelled me to a practical divinity of faith in action, this wouldn't convict me. http://www.rmnblog.org/2014/12/garrettprotest.html If they hadn’t shown me this way through generations of faithful Christians and United Methodists, then the membership promises I made and the ordination vows I took wouldn’t matter. But they do. Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, John! Thank you, church! 

So, in light of these events, I’m moved from anger, sadness, and prayer to action. I accept the freedom and power God gives me to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.

One resistance is to know what we as United Methodists hold as shared commitment: “The rights and privileges a society bestows upon or withholds from those who comprise it indicate the relative esteem in which that society holds particular persons and groups of persons. We affirm all persons as equally valuable in the sight of God. We therefore work toward societies in which each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened.” Book of Discipline, Para. 162.III.The Social Community

Another resistance is to commit myself and the congregation I serve to on-going recovery from the addiction to white privilege in whatever form it presents itself. A last resistance is to work with the Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement and other local agencies to change the systems and attitudes of racial discrimination and injustice in law enforcement, legal systems, and throughout the city and culture where I live, worship, love, play, and serve.

Finally, I will pray and act, work and pray, until justice comes, until the reign of God appears on earth as it is in heaven. Ultimately, we must change justice systems from retributive to restorative. A restorative system seeks the well-being of the whole community rather than retribution through punishment. Restorative justice, as our Social Principles emphasize, "seeks to repair the damage, right the wrong, and bring healing to all involved, including the victim, the offender, the families, and the community" (¶164H “Criminal & Restorative Justice”).

Several dozen Garrett-Evangelical seminarians and faculty gathered under the Northwestern Arch to form a circle of prayer. They began by lamenting lives lost due systemic racism before moving into the streets to block traffic at the corner of Sheridan and Chicago Avenues while holding signs with messages that read "Seminarians for Justice," "We Can't Breathe!," #NoJusticeNoPeace," "Black Lives Matter," and many others quoting scripture. 

A week ago I received an Email from a brother clergy in the Annual Conference asking me to attend a March in front of the Federal Building in Florence SC. The March was in support of the social protest in Ferguson and around the country dealing with law enforcement  and issues of racial justice. This was a follow-up march from the week before as I approached the march location I realized there were only three people marching. I asked myself questions about organization, location, and commitment, it came to my mind that this was a real waste of my time. I had taken parts in marches in Ferguson and Atlanta with thousands or people. I asked was this worth my time, an answer came back yes, but not only the march of the three but the cause of the three marchers. Thousands of demonstrators have protested peacefully in New York and elsewhere since the announcement Wednesday that a grand jury declined to indict a white officer in the death of Eric Garner, a black man who gasped 'I can't breathe!' while being placed in a chokehold as he was being arrested for selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. The decision closely followed a Ferguson, Missouri, grand jury's choice not to indict a white officer in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old. The scope of the demonstrations and the lack of violence have proven that this is not just a flash mob response but a showing that America has made gains, and that 'gives us hope' of making more progress towards no longer living under the words “Why do you force me to look at evil, stare trouble in the face day after day? Anarchy and violence break out, quarrels and fights all over the place. Law and order fall to pieces. Justice is a joke. The wicked have the righteous hamstrung and stand justice on its head.” (Habakkuk 1:1-4 The Message (MSG)Copyright © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson) A day where Justice is no longer a Joke.

As I am Putting togeather this post one thing comes to mind a letter From the NAACP which says;  Dear Faith Leaders,

As you all know our country is facing some serious challenges. Now, if not ever before the faith community’s voice needs to be heard. In light of the recent Grand Jury’s decision in New York around the Eric Garner case as well as the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, Missouri, we are calling for an IMMEDIATE RESPONSE by the faith community and others. Today, Reverend Sharpton stood with leaders from the National Urban League, NAACP, Lawyer’s Committee, Hip Hop Caucus, Black Women’s Roundtable, organized labor, and many other faith, civil and human rights organization to call for a NATIONAL MARCH AGAINST POLICE VIOLENCE in Washington, DC on next Saturday, December 13, 2014.