We Need Prophetic Voices

Over the past twelve days, we have celebrated the life of our Risen Savior, Jesus the Christ. Jesus, who challenged by the political and religious establishment of his day. Jesus who suffered and died for our sins. We have also celebrated the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A black Baptist preacher, who opened the eyes of the world, on the legal system of the segregation, a system that negated black people every day, in every aspect of life. Dr. King was also killed. Killed because he dared to speak up against wrong. It appears to me, that in too many instances, both in the urban but more especially in the rural context, the Black Church remains silent. I don't hear much support in the rural black church for #BlackliveMatter, even though young black men and women are being gunned down in rural areas. Rev. William J. Barber, II leads the Moral Movement and is planning a new PoorPeoplesCampaign. But how many of us support the movement? How many of us even take the time to retweet his tweets. More troubling to me, however, has been the lack of response and support of a recent statement by Sojourners. Sojourners, a group of Evangelicals who recently published an article, Reclaiming Jesus from the Trump Evangelicals. The article was a response to the position paper, Reclaiming Jesus, A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis. The paper was signed by several prominent Black Clergy, but where is the grassroots support. The article challenged the support of white evangelicals of a president and a presidency that has consistently used Racism and the fear of "the other" for its political gain. The acceptance of misogyny, the mistreatment, violent abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse of women. The statement also challenged white evangelicals choosing not to reject the language and policies of politicals leaders that would debase and abandon the most vulnerable children of God. The acceptance and encouragement of attacks on immigrants and refugees. The lack of caring about the pervasive, persistent, and pathological lying that is invading our political and civic life was also brought into question. Also brought into question was the acceptance of xenophobic or ethical nationalism in the form of America First, that places one nation over others as a political goal, along with, failing to support the lives of the poor, racial and religious minorities, immigrants and refugees, low-income families and children. Most of us and our members are affected by these policies. A group of evangelicals can call other evangelicals out, yet we remain silent. Former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright calls these very actions, the slippery slope to authoritarians and fascism. Are we going to remain silent, until it is too late? I pray that we will open our mouths so that that will not be the case.

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