Piloting Faith: I recently read a letter that left me stunned...
A Word for the Day...
I recently read a letter published in 1959 by the Director of Admissions of Emory University, my alma mater. The letter was a response to an admission application from an African American man. The line in the letter that caught my eye:
"I am sorry I must write you that we are not authorized to consider for admission a member of the Negro race. I regret that we cannot help you."
We are more discrete in our racism today, but I couldn't help but wonder what kinds of "letters" we are sending out in 2019.
"We are sorry that we gave you a sub-prime loan when you qualified for a standard loan, but you were an easy target for us to make a buck."
"We regret to inform you that you were a more qualified candidate, but we prefer people who look and talk like us."
"We are sorry to deny your request for a raise, but we know you will work for less."
We can be cruel to each other in many ways. We can also be kind. Kindness is effortless when we know one another. It's easy to send a letter or write a policy or pass a law about someone you've never met. But when we come to know one another as friends, we start to consider what is best for all of us. Discrimination can't survive proximity.
This past week the United Methodist Church, particularly the conservative African delegation, sent a letter for LGBTQ people across the world saying, "We regret to inform you that our understanding of God's love doesn't include you." In that statement, they won the political battle, but they lost the Church. Luckily, we know to toss these letters out. God had nothing to do with the message in them.
Let's try another way: Let's try opening ourselves to difference. Let's be generous and hospitable. Let's be prepared to be amazed and charmed by one another. Let's call each other out when we fail. When we follow the path of Love, we become a bit more like Jesus. That's the point, after all.
- Rev. Cameron Trimble, author of Piloting Church: Helping Your Congregation Take Flight
Prayer for the Week
A Contemporary Interpretation of The Lord's Prayer:
Creator in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
(Adapted from The Message translation)
