Yesterday, our nation celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in remembrance of the life and work of a man who put his passion for freedom and equality for ALL people ahead of his personal safety. As I followed my Facebook news feed throughout the day, I saw many friends who changed their profile images or posted memorable quotes from his speeches in recognition of Dr King’s commitment to a better life for all – especially the marginalized. One quote, in particular, stayed with me throughout the day: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” These words remind me of another oft-quoted line: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” As followers of Christ, we cannot afford to do nothing and we must not be silent in the face of injustice and oppression. Our Baptismal Covenant (have you noticed that I often come back to this?) makes it clear:
Celebrant Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
People I will, with God’s help.
Celebrant Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
People I will, with God’s help.
Celebrant Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
People I will, with God’s help.
Celebrant Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
People I will, with God’s help.
Celebrant Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
People I will, with God’s help.
These promises that we affirm at least four times a year leave no room for inaction or complacency. We must actually DO something!
General Convention 2012 supported two resolutions that speak to the issues which Dr King championed and this is a good place to start.
A125: Recommit to the Work of Anti-Racism
Resolved, That the 77th General Convention recommit and declare itself to be dedicated to continuing the work against the sin of racism in all of its forms; and be it further
Resolved, That a culture, expectation, and practice of anti-racism permeate the life of The Episcopal Church; and be it further
Resolved, That anti-racism principles and practices permeate the work of all teams of the DFMS, monitored and networked by a staff officer; and be it further
Resolved, That anti-racism principles and practices permeate the work of all volunteers participating in the governance structures of The Episcopal Church; and be it further
Resolved, That anti-racism training oversight and implementation be carried out on provincial and diocesan levels for all Episcopalians; and be it further
Resolved, That all dioceses and provinces initiate anti-racism training if they have not already done so and continue to engage in anti-racism training on an ongoing basis; and be it further
Resolved, That the provinces report annually to the Executive Council on the progress being made in fulfillment of this resolution; and be it further
Resolved, That the 77th General Convention request that the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance consider a budget allocation of $180,000 to be distributed and used by the Provinces for the implementation of this resolution during the 2013–2015 triennium.
A127: Recommit to Being Anti-Racists for the Next Three Triennia
Resolved, That The Episcopal Church recommit and declare itself to be dedicated to continuing to work against the sin of racism; and be it further
Resolved, That anti-racism training oversight and implementation be carried out on provincial and diocesan levels for all Episcopalians; and be it further
Resolved, That all dioceses and provinces receive anti-racism training if they have not already done so and continue to engage in anti-racism training on an ongoing basis; and be it further
Resolved, That dioceses and provinces use existing programs and ministries, or develop new programs and ministries, to dismantle and eradicate structures of racism, both internally an externally, and integrate the practices of anti-racism into their ongoing life.
Our own Whitaker Institute, in partnership with the ELCA, is bringing Crossroads AntiRacism Organizing course “Eliminating Racism” March 8 at St John’s, Royal Oak. For more information on this important opportunity, go to this link – http://www.edomi.org/whitakerinstitute/program-schedule/ This training is required for all clergy and lay leadership in the church which, I think, includes all of us as we live out our Baptismal ministries! Education is a first step – and a very important one to be sure – but there must be more. Please share your stories in comments to the blog or one the Nuts and Bolts blog Facebook page.
To close out this week’s blog, I want to highlight an article from the Episcopal News Service. Bishop Rob Wright of Atlanta spent Dr King’s birthday last week working on a sanitation crew in downtown Atlanta. He said: “Church and religion aren’t just a Sunday thing; Jesus lived and worked every day among people whose lives were hard and who needed the presence of someone who cared about them.” Are we ready to do the same thing? Will we stop being silent?
A link to the full article: http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2014/01/16/atlantas-bishop-joins-sanitation-crew-to-mark-dr-kings-birthday/
Almighty God, by the hand of Moses your servant you led your people out of slavery, and made them free at last: Grant that your Church, following the example of your prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the name of your love, and may secure for all your children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
~ Judith Schellhammer, chair, Resolution Review Committee, Diocesan Council
EDOMIresolutions 
Another excellent post, Judith! I’m so glad the diocese has come up with a new anti-racism course. The previous course hasn’t been offered in a number of years and we all need to be reminded of the importance of this issue.