PCJH Quarterly Newsletter Fall 2020 VOL 9 by PCJH

PINNACLE

Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole

~ Quarterly Newsletter

I VolUME no 9 FALL 2020

south Africa experience p.10

knowing our neighbors Q & A i n t e rv i e w

yearning P.8 for something better pg.4

An Educatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s p.16 Perspective

Why I Protest p.12

fumbling through p.15

p.11 holy land experiences

Blessed are the peacemakers p.14

conversations on r ace to be a c o m m u n i t y,

Rooted in Christ, reaching out in love

Table of Contents Volume NO 9 I Fall 2020

c o n v e r s at i o n s o n r a c e

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The Fall 2020 Pinnacle is a compilation of reflections from a variety of PCJH members on the topic of race. Some of these articles may make you uncomfortable or you may disagree with an author’s perspective, but we hope you see the influence of Jesus in all of our authors’ hearts as all are deeply committed to our Lord. Our hope is that this edition is thought-provoking as it challenges and encourages us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ as faithful disciples who desire to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. May this Pinnacle edition spur on further conversation and action when it comes to Christ’s work of racial reconciliation in our world and nation.

"In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.” u Galatians 3:28 (The Message)

yearning for something better

~ Re v. Ben Pascal

knowing our neighbors

~ Re v. Tammy Mitchell

south africa experieces

holy land experiences

why I protest

~ Ally Kiefer

~ Caryn Haman

An educators perspective

fumbling through

~ Addie Pascal

conversations on race

~ Danile Primich

fa l l 2 0 2 0

~ Ray Womack

blessed are the peacmakers

~ Mark Morzov

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Yearning

for Something 4

Better

conversations on race

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~ Rev. Ben Pascal

a r t i n L u th e r K i n g J r . ( M L K ) s a i d, “We must face the shameful fact that the church is the most segregated major institution in American society, and the most segregated hour of the week is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” William E. Pannell, an African American professor at Fuller Theological Seminary who served there for 40 years echoes MLK today when he said, “The bottom line is that the church is still the most segregated community in America. We have not found each other, except on the annual rent-a-choir day.” This reality should cause all disciples of Jesus Christ to yearn for things to be different when it comes to race relations in the church. We need each other. How might we live into God’s dream of racial reconciliation as followers of Jesus Christ? May we not see this as a hopeless situation but remember with God all things are possible. May we yearn for something better. T h e D i v e r s i ty w i t h i n t h e I m a g e o f G o d Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” A foundational Judeo-Christian belief is that all of humanity is created in the image of God. All people are image bearers of God, no matter their gender or race or socio-economic status. All are sacred. All are children of the Most High, whom the Father loves, for whom Jesus died, and in whom the Spirit can reside. God is Father, Son, Holy Spirit. One God yet Three Persons. This is the doctrine of the Trinity. God is by nature communal. We too have been created in God’s image for fellowship. We are individuals but we need each other. I love how the Trinitarian God is portrayed in the book and film The Shack. The Father is a black woman, Jesus is a Middle Eastern man, and the Holy Spirit is an Asian woman. Later in the movie the Father turns into a Native American man. This gives us a challenging yet more encompassing view of the nature and image of God. This understanding of racial diversity within the image of God (as opposed to the image of an old white man with a beard) gives us a thought provoking and grander image of God when it comes to the diversity of the human race. I hope we will all have a desire to be in fellowship with people from all kinds of races and ethnicities as it is then that we see the fullness of who God truly is. T h e Fa l l a n d t h e S i n o f R a c i s m The origin of sin is told through a story at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis when Adam and Eve ate from the tree. Sin was then manifested in Cain killing Abel (a brother committing violence against his own brother) in Genesis 4. In Genesis 11 we hear the story of the Tower of Babel and how, because of sin, people were scattered and divided between race and language. Genesis 11 gives us an image of a fallen world. Throughout �

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the Old Testament many of us are troubled by the violence and war between different people groups. We read about the atrocities inflicted by or upon the Israelites, Egyptians, Canaanites, Moabites, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and more. The violence between people of different races and tribes is far from God’s plan for humanity. Racism is a sin and is a result of a world who has strayed from God and God’s ways. Racism is just as real today as other sins like greed, pride, envy, lust, wrath, laziness, and gluttony. Racism is the sin of thinking or acting as if your own race is superior and has the right to dominate others or that a particular racial group is inferior to others. Unfortunately, racism is real and alive today in our world, in our country, in our communities, in our families, and even in our own hearts, because we live in a world broken by sin. My friends, I assume you are not a racist in the sense that you hate or intentionally hurt people because of the color of their skin, nor do I assume you are using the “n” word. That kind of racism is real yet extreme. But there are more subtle forms of racism that you may not even be consciously aware of. My point is that racism is still a reality, even here in Jackson Hole, and we as followers of Christ are called to be different. R e p e n ta n c e L e a d s to R e c o n c i l i at i o n We are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation. Michelle Ferrigno Warren, author of The Power of Proximity: Moving Beyond Awareness to Action said, “There is no safe road toward reconciliation. It is hard, uphill, and deeply personal for everyone.” It’s true. Reconciliation, and more specifically, racial reconciliation, is hard work. It has and will continue to take time. It has and will be contentious and painful. But so was the cross where Jesus died to reconcile the world to God and to one another. In order for reconciliation to happen, repentance must precede. 1 John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” I think we need to approach the sin of racism in this manner. May we not claim to be without racism any more than we would claim to be without sin. Instead let us humbly repent of our own racism and the racism that we have unintentionally been a part of. The great reformer, John Calvin, coined the

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term “total depravity.” Total depravity is the theological concept that we, as humans, are completely and utterly caught up in sin, both individual and corporate sin (systemic sin) and there is no way to detangle ourselves from sin except through the awesome work of Christ. Calvin’s doctrine is an echo of the Apostle Paul who quoted the psalmist in Romans 3:10-11, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” We are tangled up in the sin of racism in America whether we like it or not. As white American Christians, we must become more aware and educated about the racial injustices inf licted upon people of color over the past 250 years. It is unfortunately part of our story and continues to be even as we make great strides towards equality. May we be like the psalmist in Psalm 139:2324 and pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” The Lord is faithful when we come to God with a broken and contrite heart, not self-shaming, but not minimizing racism or being defensive, accepting that we are sinful by nature and need to repent (which literally means to turn 180 degrees around in the opposite direction) and be led into the way everlasting. How do we find the way? Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” J e s u s i s t h e Way to R a c i a l R e c o n c i l i at i o n

“How might we live into Jesus Christ? May we not As I ref lect on the grand narrative of Scripture it is clear that Jesus Christ ultimately brings about reconciliation through God’s grace. Jesus spent time with the people whom society had pushed aside. Jesus was not the kind of Messiah the Jews were expecting. The Hebrew prophets all foretold of the day when the Messiah would come and bring God’s justice and make things right

in the world. Most people thought it would be through political transformation, but Jesus came to bring heart transformation. Jesus came to save and reconcile the world to God. Jesus ushered in the New Covenant as a fulfillment of the Old Covenant. While the Old Covenant centered around God’s chosen people (the Jews) through God’s law, the New Covenant centered around God’s chosen people (those who are in Christ despite their race or ethnicity) through God’s grace. We see the beauty of this at Pentecost in Acts 2 where people from all different ethnicities and languages are united by the Holy Spirit. Unlike the Tower of Babel that sought power through empire by a society of one race and one language, at Pentecost the people do not speak one language but a multitude of tongues; the people are not of one nation but many nations. As we read further into the book of Acts, in chapter 10, we see how Peter comes to the realization that God’s grace through Jesus Christ is reconciling not just the Jewish people to God, but all people, even Gentiles. Peter assumed the Gentiles were unclean and therefore excluded from God’s plan, but they were included. The word “Gentile” in Greek is “ethnos” which is where we get the word “ethnicity”. The Gentiles being included in God’s plan of reconciliation was revolutionary for Peter and the early church. In Acts 15 we see how the Council at Jerusalem finally made it official that the Gentiles were not to be excluded but included as part of God’s plan to reconcile the world to God’s Self.

in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 that God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, and that we are Christ’s ambassadors of reconciliation. The word “ambassador” in Greek is “presbeuo” which is one of the root words for Presbyterian. As Presbyterians we are called to be ambassadors of God’s reconciliation which includes racial reconciliation. F r o m Awa r e n e s s to A c t i o n As ambassadors of racial reconciliation, we must eventually move from awareness to action. For many of us, we are in the midst of learning more about the racial issues of our time. It is important for us to listen and learn from our black and brown brothers and sisters in Christ. Just as the Israelites cried out to God while in Egypt, may we not have deaf ears or a hard heart like Pharaoh, but instead, may we listen and learn with compassion and empathy. We must hear their stories and build friendships so that this movement is not theoretical but personal. There are books and films and sermons we must read, watch and listen to. May we allow our minds to be shaped by their intellect. We must become proximate with people who are different from us in order to truly understand and care. When we do these things we will be compelled to take action. Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Let’s be good people doing good things for the sake of racial reconciliation. One way we have seen people taking action is through protest.

God’s dream of racial reconciliation as followers of see this as a hopeless situation, but remember with God all things are possible. The Apostle Paul was the instrumental leader for the movement of the ministry to the Gentiles (the people of different nations and ethnicities). Paul ’s ministry to the Gentiles takes up a good portion of the New Testament. It was Paul who said in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” It was also Paul who said

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TO Read the rest of

Pastor Ben’s article as he comments on the protests, Black Lives Matter, Marxism, and our just hope as we dream God’s dream. Go to

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pcjh.org/yearning-for-some-

thing-better/ or simply scan QR code.

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Q & A

Interview with Lissa Hunter & Kyle ?

knowing our neighbors ~ Tammy Mitchell

An interview with Abraham Hernandez Bautista, Blanca Estela Olvera, and Estela Perez—The Church of Centro de Vida Cristiana This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. u John 15:12

had the privilege of speaking with the pastor of Centro de Vida Cristiana, Abraham Hernandez and his wife, Blanca and translator/parishioner, Estela Perez. Every weekend they meet at the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole. Abraham, Blanca and Estela were kind enough to sit with me, enjoy each other’s company, and discuss the issue of race.

Tammy: Thank you for meeting with me. Would you share a little bit about your background and what brought you to Jackson, WY?

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Abraham: I was born in Tlaxcala, Mexico and moved, with my brother, to Jackson 13 years ago. My uncle and grandmother were already here. I met my wife Blanca and we’ve been married for 8 years. I am currently a cook at Osteria but I also have experience landscaping. Since you have lived here, what has been your experience as a Latino in Jackson? A: This community is very accepting. I see myself not just as a part of the Latino community but also part of the entire Jackson community. Because Jackson is a service community, there are many people here working from

“Because Jackson is a service community, there are many people here working from all over the world.” all over the world. It’s not uncommon to hear many languages. For the most part, this community is pretty open to Latinos and is a more integrated community.

Do you see disharmony or disconnection among races? A: I would say that it is not so much racial divisions that are prominent, but rather cultural divisions. We live in the midst of many different cultures. Even within the Hispanic community, there are people from Peru, Columbia, Mexico, Spain, all over. So, the differences we experience are more due to the differences in culture. However, I believe we are part of one race, the human race, and everyone has value under God. I do not believe that it is good to divide people into different races. That is a mistake trying to separate people into categories such as; this person is Latino, this person is African American, and this person is white. We are all human beings. I’m sure you have been watching the news about how people all over the country are becoming more aware of the discrimination toward those who are of “color”. While some of the protests have been peaceful, some have been violent and disrupting. The underlying feeling in this country is that more and more people are speaking up against racism. There seems to be a real desire to find ways to understand and change racial discrimination. As Christians, we believe that racial reconciliation is part of what it means to love one another. What word would you have for us as we learn to understand how to make bridges and seek reconciliation? A: I would say to take seriously the words from Jesus in scripture that the greatest commandments are, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” And then I would ask, myself “who is my neighbor and what does it mean to love them?” We are to love others, serve others, and help each other based on our talents and abilities. We need to move from judging people based on how they look or asking ourselves what we can get from them. Rather we

need to see them and think, “what can I do for them?” “What do I have that I can give to others?” As Christians, maybe we can look at people of different cultures and see what they can offer, what talents they can bring, and how our society can be enhanced. We are called as people of faith to see one another for who they are and not just what they look like. We need to see others through their actions. I don’t like to use the word “race” but “culture.” In every culture there are good people who seek to work hard, bring goodness, and follow the laws. And there are others who do not follow the laws, who are not trustworthy, or who do not work.

Have you personally experienced racial prejudice? A: The first time I experienced it was when I was a teenager. When I first arrived, I liked to skateboard. Some of the other kids who were skateboarding at the park would not socialize with me and they snubbed me. Then one day, they drew graffiti at the skate park. They called the police and they blamed it on me. So yes, I have, but there are others, whose names I do not wish to name, who have experienced racial prejudice worse than me. It has been said, the most segregated hour of the week in our country is Sunday mornings. In other words, the “Whites” have their church, and the “Latinos” have their church and the “Blacks” have their church. Should we all be integrated? A: I think more integration would be good for all of us. As a Latino, we would love to have more services in English. Maybe that would help us come together better. We would love to help the American church get to know our culture and language. We have a friend who recently married a Latino. He comes to our church, and even though he does not speak Spanish, we translate the service in English so he can better understand what is being said. Our church is open to everyone. It doesn’t matter what culture you are from. We do not see ourselves as a Latino church, but as part of God’s Church. In our church we have different cultures represented; people from Spain, Russian, England, India, Guatemala, El Salvador, Argentina, Canada, but all are welcome.

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South AFRICA EXPERIENCES

n S e pt e mb e r 1 9 7 5 , M e g a n d I st e pp e d off the plane in Johannesburg, South Africa, ready to begin our life together as newlyweds, and to launch into a great adventure in an exotic and beautiful new continent. South Africa was still settled deeply in the bog of apartheid (Afrikaans for separation, literally “apartness”), a form of government of which we had read quite a bit, but which we could scarcely have imagined without seeing it in action. Imagine a place in which a 19-year old Afrikaner policeman could address a black African PhD as “boy” and the PhD would have to answer “Ja Baas”. The phrase means exactly what it sounds like: “yes, boss”. All persons in South Africa were classified according to race; i.e., white, black, colored (mixed race). When we entered the country and filled out all the papers that involved our new residency, the first question asked was: “Are you and all members of your family white?” Black South Africans were not considered to be citizens of South Africa, per se, but were divided according to tribal origin, and assigned to citizenship in the “homeland” that corresponded to their tribal identification. They became citizens of Zululand, Transkei (Xhosas), etc., even if they had never set foot in their “homeland”. They could not vote, and were allowed in the white cities only if they had a “pass” entitling them to entry into the cities to perform specific jobs. They could not leave their jobs, on pain of deportation. If one member of a family had a pass, the rest of the family was not entitled to live with the employed person. The effect of this was separation of wives from husbands, parents from children. The husband might work in the gold mines around Joburg, but his family would be in a shack back in Transkei. He would see them once a year.

Meg Womack with youth group at home in Johannesburg, 1976, sharing a plate of brownies.

~ Ray Womack

One of my friends and colleagues was a geologist named Tony Brink. Tony allowed his maid’s family to share her quarters on his little farm. When the security police caught wind of it, they shipped her family back to the homeland and fined Tony about $10 for breaking the pass laws. Tony refused to pay the fine and the coppers threw him in the pokey. In those days, the press was relatively free, and Tony was a prominent leader and professional. The press made hay out of the imprisonment of Tony Brink until finally the cops paid his fine behind his back. Tony became a national celebrity among the English speakers. Geologists do not become celebrities. So we landed in this beautiful and very deeply flawed country, with our American ideals of freedom and equality. South Africa really was a police state, but the cops didn’t pay much attention to “uitlanders” (foreigners) like us. Now had we started carrying signs………..? About this time (we had been in country maybe a month or two), a friend of ours (Presbyterian guy, of course) introduced us to St. Anthony’s church, which was the only multi-racial church in the country. I’m pretty sure the church was illegal, and I know they were watched, but boy, was that eye-opening and wonderful! The essential purpose of St. Anthony’s was to pursue justice for oppressed people in the tradition of Jesus himself and other luminaries like Martin Luther King, Jr. Furthermore, it served to bring Christian people together across racial and societal bounds. We shared meals and stories. When our fellow church members were being persecuted by police and other government agencies, we stood together. It’s one thing to press for social justice when it’s an abstract concept. It’s quite another when your beloved and lovely friend is being misused by some rotten bureaucrat. The most remarkable (and troubling) observation of the whole time there, was the fact that misguided Christian people were often the most active in maintaining segregation and injustice. The Afrikaans people, who were predominantly members of the Dutch Reformed Church, and many of them very committed Christians and thoroughly charming people, were for the most part profoundly racist. It was as if a dark mask was pulled over their faces when the issue of racial justice arose. We could be having a deep spiritual discussion during a group meeting, everybody smiling and happy, and the subject of equality came up and they became like different people. In some ways it reminded me of growing up in the American south. Too often, the most spiritual people were capable of the worst racism. To this day I do not

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Holy Land experiences

n May of 2018 on the last day of our PCJH Holy Land pilgrimage we sat beneath the trees in the Judean Hills, which is a place John the Baptist would frequent. We reflected on the experience, not yet knowing the full meaning and implications it would have for each one of us. Andre Moubarak, our guide, warned us that we could not fix the problems and conflicts we had observed. He said the importance is to do something. Among the amazing Christian and archaeological sites we also visited an Israeli settlement on Palestinian territory. Next to this beautiful new development we noted the shambles where indigenous Bedouin people had been relocated. (much like our own indigenous people). We traveled on highways that went through Palestinian land, yet they could not use them. We went through checkpoints that screen out people. We were fortunate that Andre is a Palestinian Christian born in Jerusalem, so he can travel in all of the territories. We observed miles of the wall built to separate Israel from Palestine. The walls make it difficult for Palestinians to go to work, visit family on the other side, or to worship freely. Imagine that your family has owned land for a few hundred years. You have produced documents of proof yet the Israeli government who is in control will not give a deed to the property. Imagine you come home to find the earth has been moved to form a large berm preventing you from access. Imagine your water has been cut off so you must build a cistern, or imagine the few hundred olive trees you planted being systematically destroyed. Imagine you are only given power for a few hours a day and when a Christian church from the Netherlands delivers solar panels to your village they are soon confiscated. This kind of intimidation and oppression happens daily. We are all familiar with words like: occupation, racism, oppression, injustice, unemployment, poverty, limited freedom. I came home with a passion to learn and discover how to bring peace to this special land. Walking in the Holy Land was truly an opportunity to renew our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. So as Andre had encouraged us, it was time to

~ Caryn Haman

“do something.” The first thing I did was to read books about the peace process that is ongoing. I read Pursuit of Peace in Israel and Palestine by Gershon Baskin, Chosen by Walter Brueggeman and Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter. At that point I realized if Jimmy Carter could not broker lasting peace then it was going to be difficult. I returned to the Holy Land in 2019, still wanting to learn more and go deeper in my scriptural understanding and to better understand the conflict. Scripture speaks so often about love and peace and mercy and assisting the poor. You would think that at some time we would “get-it”. Late in 2018 I was invited to join the board of the Holy Land Christian Society centered in Washington DC and started by Mary Kay Turner in 2002. The Holy Land Christian Society is a “do something” organization. This entails things like donating a tractor to assist economic development, an EKG machine to the only Christian hospital in Gaza, a bottle sterilizer for an orphanage in Bethlehem, finances to aid disabled children to receive physical therapy in Jerusalem, funds for refugee women to create items to earn income, and student scholarships to name but a few. Books that also deepened by theological understanding are: Our Father Abraham by Marvin R. Wilson, Faith in the Face of Empire by Mitri Raheb, The Cross in Contexts by Mitri Raheb and Christ at the Checkpoint essays from the conference. Books to help understand the conflict in its infancy are The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan and Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour. One of my favorite quotes is: “I am only one but I am one. I cannot do everything but what I can do I ought to do and what I ought to do, by the Grace of God, I shall do.” It is time to pray and act for peace, justice, security, dignity, and freedom from oppression wherever it is found. Now is the time to recognize this is true for all people. We are all children of God, let us then remember “the other is my brother”. ✝

* This complex and controversial topic presents a Christian Palestian view. There is an equally compelling Israeli/Jewish view for another conversation.

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My Journey with Privilege

WHY I PROTEST

~ Ally Kiefer

Ally and Sojourn to the Past students walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of Bloody Sunday & start of the march from Selma to Montgomery, AL, that led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

am white, and for much of my life I was oblivious to how deeply my perception of the world was shaped by my whiteness. Born and raised in wealthy Bay Area suburbs to middle-class parents, my sisters and I attended well-funded public schools, easily found makeup that matched our skin tones, and never saw a flag or a statue that made us feel unwelcome or inferior. We never feared for our or our family’s safety—not while driving, exercising, or just existing. I am white, so I grew up in a world in which my skin tone and experiences were not only “normal,” but uplifted as ideal. But God changed my world-view. In high school, I had the opportunity to travel through the South with a program called Sojourn to the Past. We followed the path of the Civil Rights Movement, studying the principles of nonviolence, visiting major historical sites, meeting everyday people-turned-heroes who had decided that fighting injustice was worth sacrificing for. What had seemed a distant struggle suddenly was tangible, present, ongoing. Guided by the fire God kindled in my heart, I chose to major in sociology and explored social patterns, systems of

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oppression, and how they shape our society and realities. I began to recognize how oblivious I’d been to many of privileges my skin afforded me. When I interned at a multi-ethnic church, my senior year, I experienced anew the messy, glorious work of choosing togetherness as Christ followers over division. In this journey, a constant question: What does it mean to be a follower of the ultimate justice-bringer, Jesus, in this broken world? What can we do in the face of overwhelming darkness as children of the Light? Time slipped by, and I became wrapped up in my own life and its many changes. This also is white privilege—to hold racism at arm’s length and disengage from the reality of daily humiliation, anxiety and fear that discrimination burdens on so many. Then 2020 stormed in. The first name I heard was Ahmaud Arbery. Then Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Elijah McClain, David McAtee, Rayshard Brooks, Jacob Blake joined an already heartbreakingly long list from years past, each a person, Imago Dei, stripped of life. Within a few months, there was no denying that racism exists and is alive in our institutions of law & order. On June 6, I joined the Black Lives Matter protest in Victor, Idaho, and on

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“I began to recognize how oblivious I’d been to many of the privileges my skin afforded me” June 8, I protested in Jackson’s town square. Protesting has been a vital tool in the shaping of history. In the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego engaged in protest when they refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. Jesus protested the greed that infiltrated the temple by flipping tables and driving out money lenders and merchants. Our Protestant faith stems from protest against the authority of the Catholic Church. The U.S. was born from protest against high taxation and a lack of representation. The 19th Amendment, which granted (white, middle class) women the right to vote, was only ratified because suffragettes engaged in civil disobedience for years. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and ‘60’s was a calculated, organized series of nonviolent protests, from sit-ins to marches to boycotts. In each of these cases, protesters were met with opposition and even violence. Protest is the disruption of everyday life to amplify an issue. It makes people uncomfortable and forces authority to pay attention. And while I firmly believe that protest is at its most powerful and compelling when peaceful and centered on nonviolence, I as a person of privilege cannot condemn the fury and desperation that can lead to rioting. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated in his 1967 speech The Other America, “America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots… Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.” If riots are the “language of the unheard,” how can we listen and learn with empathy? I see protest as a tangible, physical way to show up for and stand in solidarity with those burdened by inequality, raising one’s voice with the chorus of those calling for change and reform. It is a way to bring hope to a painful world, a way to channel burning anger at injustice into something productive - momentum and action. God is no stranger to righteous anger. His anger stems from place of goodness and holiness, and throughout the Bible brings cleansing, repentance, restoration. When our anger is rooted in a place of love for God and His vision for the world, it can be productive, even healing, and brings accountability and reconciliation. So, why do I protest now? I protest because Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd should be alive. I protest because none of the men who killed them have been convicted for the irreversible crimes they’ve committed, some not even fired and arrested.

I protest because every person deserves to have “life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10 NRSV), and the systemic evil of racism has stolen life emotionally, spiritually, physically, from far too many for far too long. I protest because people of color should not hold the horrific trauma of witnessing family, friends, folks who could be family, friends, murdered on camera, over and over again. I protest because no parents should have to sit their children down and explain to them how to avoid being killed by police, knowing that sometimes following every rule still isn’t enough. I protest because law enforcement and the criminal justice system in this country too often see Black Americans as criminals to be feared, not as fellow humans worthy of life. I protest because Black lives, Black joy, Black freedom, Black dreams hold inherent dignity, value, and purpose to our Creator. I protest because heaven will be “a great multitude… from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9), worshiping together in harmony, equality, and love, and we care called to long for, pray for, and work for earth as it is in heaven. I protest because to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” with my God (Micah 6:8) requires me to confront my biases, my pride, the racism ingrained within me, and instead seek and stand for His righteousness and will for the world. I struggle. I wrestle with bitterness and anger that dehumanizes rather than empowers. I strive and falter and strive again to incorporate social justice into my faith and daily life. But I know who my God is, and the deep love He feels for every person of every race. We are not each other’s enemy. Divided, we have an incomplete understanding of our Father, and a broken ineffective Body. No, I am called to love my neighbors – Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian – as myself. As Jesus said, “There is no commandment greater.” “God Who Mends, You demand of us not merely justice, but repair. We have reduced reconciliation to niceties and friendship out of fear for what it might actually cost us. Expose us, Lord, so that we can be people of repair - people attuned to the rubble left by our histories, and with a sacred imagination for how we might bring restoration in our country, cities, and neighborhoods. Remake us in our making.” – from the Instagram account @blackliturgies ✝

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Blessed are the Peacemakers

~ Mark Morzov

reflections from a former jackson hole police officer

n times of chaos in our society, we rely upon specially selected people to fairly keep the peace and respect all of our constitutional rights. These women and men are called to serve in these spaces where life and death decisions are made in fractions of a second. They run towards conflict and violence, knowing that even a good decision made will be ‘second guessed’ over and over again. Even if the correct decision is made, civil litigation (getting sued) is a possibility. They not only put their physical lives on the line, they expose themselves to getting sued, their families being judged, they feel misunderstood by most outside their culture of law enforcement, and often have a difficult time feeling comfortable in a place of worship. In Wyoming, the divorce rate for law enforcement is well over 90%. Nationally, if an officer actually makes it to retirement, the life expectancy is usually short due to stress related heart conditions and substance abuse issues. The cumulative stress of this career can create for some, mental health issues that are only coped with and mostly misunderstood by the public at large. They went through a rigorous hiring process, including a background investigation, polygraph test, and psychological examination. They are some of the best people in our society. They are often extremely proficient individuals, capable of making many times over their pay in another sector of employment, but they choose to serve as peace officers. It is one of the most rewarding and difficult jobs I can imagine. On good days, lives are saved and justice is righteously served, it carries them through those days when the broken nature of our justice system is seen and tangibly felt. They constantly see people in their worst moment of their lives: a person’s biggest mistake, worst pain, greatest loss, and even their last breath. In some of our nation’s cities, reform of law enforcement agencies is desperately needed. It is undeniable that there are some places where a culture of racism and unchecked violence does actually exist within a specific agency. In these places, specific policies and tactics that are deemed to be racist or unfair should be addresses and made pubic for all of us to understand. To assume that all of those wearing a badge or shield are

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also racist or carry preconceived prejudices into their daily work is wrong and unfair to those who work everyday seeking to shepherd their community as peace keepers. These people swear an oath to preserve life first and foremost. In the media, the public usually only sees the several seconds of when an officer uses force on a suspect. The 30 minutes prior or even weeks of build up to that moment is not on display. The several seconds of video goes viral and the officer is judged unfairly by a public that most of the time does not understand the Constitutional aspects at play or the tactics employed. The public sees statistics of how many people have been shot by law enforcement, but there are no stats on how many times law enforcement was justified in using lethal force and instead resolved it without violence. Only about 1% of law enforcement interaction results in some type of force used. Every law enforcement agency has an individual set of policies dictated by their specific jurisdiction. Every community has different needs and desires placed on those called to keep peace. As those communities are currently struggling to find solutions to those problems of racism and socio – economic injustice to policies and tactics, we can and should be active listeners to their strife and their experiences. Listening and validating someone’s experience is not always agreeing or perfectly understanding their situation. A person of color in an inner city where racial tension is a daily reality, experiences the news of police using force in a different light than someone in a rural community. Applying the defunding of law enforcement movement towards all agencies across the nation is prejudicial and results in the resignation of peace keepers who have done nothing but exemplified their oath of preserving life and the rights of both victims and suspects in their work. As Christians, we can strive to have the wisdom to hold in one hand, the strife a community of color is experiencing and in the other, the strife of our peace keepers nationally. We can do this from a place of love that Paul describes in 1st Corinthians 13. Blessings to you all. ✝

Fumbling

Through

~ Addie Pascal

we were quite possibly the most ill-prepared people on the planet (by ill-prepared I do mean white)

s a kid growing up in a mostly white, suburban, middle class neighborhood in the Pacific Northwest, I truly believed racism was something that a) only happened in the South and that b) only happened in historical times. Imagine my surprise in early adulthood as I gradually realized that neither of these things had ever been true. Sweet lil’ dum-dum I was. Fast forward to my thirties, a tad more enlightened but not much. Bright-eyed and set on a quest I’d long felt drawn to since spending a college summer in Kenya with orphaned girls, I approached the international adoption process in the same way many Western Christians do. That is to say, we could simultaneously increase our family whilst caring for the world’s orphans in the most tangible way possible. Plus, it was super biblical. There’s a whole verse about it in James, after all. In my zealous state, what I failed to truly grasp was the real gravity of the decision we were making. The fact that our beautiful brown baby would grow up first into a black little girl, then a black teenager, and finally a black adult who would ultimately need to navigate the world around her as a black woman. And the fact that we were quite possibly the most ill-prepared people on the planet (by ill-prepared I do mean white) to equip her for the challenges she would face in her brown skin. Parenting her in love would require a lot more than warm fuzzy feelings. This kind of love would require educating my brain, moving my feet, using my voice, and well, getting a little bit uncomfortable. I am embarrassed to say that it has taken raising a black daughter to push me to recognize and ultimately strive to dismantle my own racist tendencies. I also happen to be raising a white girl and a white boy, so our approach to discussing racial justice and equality around here requires frequent perspective shifts. Parenting is so easy. Watching these three interact as they grow up has only solidified the immense importance of having real, honest, sometimes difficult conversations around these topics. Yes, even now while they are young. Especially now. What they learn now will shape the way they navigate relationships

with all types of people for the rest of their lives. In the pursuit of my own education around racial equality and justice, I’ve gone through a range of emotions. Deep sadness at the historical mistreatment of not only black people but also Native Americans, immigrants, and refugees. Anger at the seeming attempts to downplay and in some instances eradicate the stories of this history. Discomfort at the recognition of my own contributions to systemic racism, particularly the contribution of “doing nothing.” Defensiveness at the exposure of my own ignorance. Despair, wondering if I can do anything effective about it. As a Jesus-follower, it has become crystal clear to me that doing nothing is not an option when it comes to racial inequality. I am no theologian, but if there’s one thing I know about Jesus’ character it is this: he has always been a fan of the underdog. His heart for the marginalized, the down-trodden, the outcast, the dehumanized, the suffering ones is evident time and time again throughout the bible. If we claim to follow Jesus, then our feet should literally follow his. I believe racial justice is a biblical pursuit because equality is at the very heart of loving people wholly and completely as children of God, seeing each one as an equally cherished creation worthy of dignity and respect. When I approach humanity with this mentality, all of a sudden love starts to look a lot like reading books and having uncomfortable conversations and making intentional, sometimes inconvenient decisions. At our house, we are raising three kids. That means someone is often being left out. It’s a great talking point on what it feels like to be excluded. Fostering inclusivity in my kids’ hearts is one of the best ways I know to help them learn to widen the table. I have very little of this figured out. I am fumbling through it all. I don’t know that I will ever raise my black daughter in a manner befitting what she deserves or even needs. But what I do know is this: doing nothing is not an option. If I really claim to follow Jesus then it can’t be. So I’ll keep fumbling, keep learning, keep getting uncomfortable. Keep widening the table. After all, love is the only thing that is actually multiplied when shared. ✝

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An Educator’s Perspective

few months ago, in the wake of the George Floyd tragedy, I was encouraged by my lovely wife to attend one of our local, peaceful protests. My initial reaction to this was that I felt as though my presence there would be inappropriate, or perhaps even offensive to members of the Black community. Here I, a privileged white man, speaking to the racial injustices that have littered our society for so long? It definitely did not seem to be my place. I was by no means indifferent to the situation. In fact, I had spent many nights prior in prayer and reflection, but this didn’t initially seem like the right time or place. I was eventually convinced to go, and we brought along our two children. As we approached the town square, I felt an unexpected wave of fear and trepidation roll over me. However, we stood alongside fellow members of our community, signs out in support of those who had most recently been the victims of police brutality (please visit the following website https://sayevery.name/). There were many honks and cheers of support, but also moments of opposition from other community members and tourists. I soon noticed a group of young students, all about to enter high school this fall, were making their own signs of protest out of pieces of cardboard and permanent markers. One of them was a former student of mine. She always seemed to be a very sweet disposition kid, but it had been a very long time since we had talked. I don’t know if she saw me or not, but frankly, it doesn’t even matter. She finished her sign, and marched to the front of the crowd while saying “Let’s do this!” I was immediately hit by the impact of these words and actions. I was immediately ashamed that I felt I should take a back seat in this discussion. I was immediately moved by this young lady’s courage and resolve to stand up for justice. I was immediately made aware that this is not a fight in some far-away part of our country, not a fight for the cities, but a fight right here, right now. And at the forefront of this battle, are our kids, our students, our grandchildren. I am a teacher. I have been a proud part of our local district for over ten years as an educator and 11 years as a student. My current role is a 4th Grade teacher at one of our public elementary schools. The school I work in is made up of approximately 50% Hispanic or Biracial students. I have spent the majority of my career going through the ups and downs most teachers go through, but overall felt as though I was doing my part to help students become better global citizens. However, in light of recent events, I have been deeply moved into seeking what more needed to be done. One

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~ Daniel Primich

of the most important pieces of information I heard was to open my heart and ears to listen. 1 Corinthians 12:26 teaches us the following... “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” I sought out Black and Latino educators such as Geoffrey Canada, Rick Milner, Baruti K. Kafele, Carla España, Luz Yadira Hispana, Sara K. Ahmed, Dr. Sonja Cherry Paul and Cornelius Minor to name a few. Through books, articles, podcasts, and interviews, I have been forced to come to terms with my biases as a white educator. I have reflected on my shortcomings up to this point, and have looked hard at how my experiences as a white student in a flawed system have shaped my current practices as an educator. I now am beginning to understand the necessity of discussing race and inequity with our students to ensure they can develop the empathy and compassion needed to truly make a difference for our future. These are uncomfortable conversations to have, but absolutely necessary ones. Rich Milner, an esteemed professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Peabody College of Vanderbilt sums up how we as educators need to approach this topic... “Just imagine an oncologist, not studying an aspect of cancer because it doesn’t make the oncologist feel good; it makes the oncologist feel uneasy.” This is how we as Christians and we as educators need to be in order to learn, grow, and understand how we need to change to better support our kids. Another progression in my beliefs through this time of listening and learning has been, what is my role in my students’ lives? �

~ The concept of being a “white savior” for these students, or someone who is going to pull them up from the bowels of despair and help them succeed in life is not only inaccurate, but in and of itself a form of racism. Our students are each miracles. The obstacles and sacrifices their families have had to overcome are well-beyond what many of us can comprehend. These students are rich with culture and experiences that many other students who came from a background similar to mine have no comparison. Many of our students wear many hats such as medical translators for their families, tutors to siblings, and liaisons between their families to banks and local business, all while still shouldering the responsibility of being a student. To think that these students are anything less than a marvel would be misguided. I wish I was discussing this topic as a wizened expert in this field, but I am not. I am approaching the topic as a flawed individual who has recently been called to make a major shift in my thinking. These words, thoughts, and ideas are merely summaries from the experts referenced earlier in this article. I highly encourage anyone else who feels moved to make an impact in the lives of our community’s children to seek out more insight of the experiences of minority students in education. The time is now for us to understand that all of our students are a part of God’s plan. To quote one of my fellow educators Geoffrey Canada, “They are born brilliant, most highly capable, with the capacity to achieve anything in life they set their sites on achieving.” And feel truly blessed to have the privilege of crossing paths with the future difference makers of our world. ✝

� from page 10 south africa experiences understand that phenomenon, but I have no doubt it’s there. I firmly believe that it’s a serious problem that is reflected in the fact that multi-racial churches are so very rare. For whatever reason, activism versus injustice does not win many friends. However, if we are able to pull in folks of different population groups, have them into our homes, get to understand their problems and make them our own, beautiful things can happen. Godly things, Holy things. If we came out of South Africa with one profound lesson, it’s that we Christians must not be content to blend in. At St. Anthony’s the church members actively sought out Christians of other races, had them into our homes, and grew to know (and love) one another well. We learned Zulu songs and worship formats and sang songs of many languages in church. It was so much fun! Meg and I were the “Youth Group” leaders and had the group to our little flat many times. We were in fact younger than some of the Youth Group! It’s been about 40 years since we’ve seen most of them, but they still occupy deep places in our hearts. ✝

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� from page 9 knowing our neighbors Do you believe racial reconciliation is God’s will for God people? A: Yes, definitely. This is Jesus’ teaching. What would you say is the biggest barrier to racial reconciliation? A: In part, many people do not have God in their hearts and lives. So, their actions are not based what He wants. This is a big limitation. Racism is about being the best – the best over any other race. Yet the Bible teaches that we are not to try and be the best over someone else but rather we are to serve others. Jesus said, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Racism is putting you above someone else and that goes against Jesus. What is your prayer for racial reconciliation? A: My prayers to have peace in all our hearts. As Jesus said, be at peace with each other. If people have peace in their lives, they act differently. We have to overcome our fears, our egos, to help us to have relationship with each other and to see each other as God sees us. We learn we are all equal: socially, culturally, Latino, white, - God loves us all. Blanca: Where there is fear, we pull away from God. I once had a supervisor and this person was always getting upset with my co-worker and me. It seemed as though she was always angry with us. We could never do anything right. So, my friend and I started to pray for her. We prayed God would change her attitude and her fears. A year passed and we never stopped praying for her. And slowly but surely, we have seen a real change in her. She became happier, kinder, and more reasonable with us. We believe that God changed the way she was acting, and we are still praying for her. She was hurting us by her actions. We believe God is healing her heart. Estela: If we understand what real love means, we would not be having this conversation today. God gives us the freedom to choose love. If we do not build on our relationship with Jesus Christ, we will not be able to say anything against racism. I work with the public and this is always a challenge. We need the church. In church, we learn about the love of Jesus. We learn how to follow Christ and we learn how to love others. ✝

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Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. u Proverbs 31:9