As pastors and followers of Jesus Christ, we condemn racism, we confess our own acts of prejudice and participation in racist systems, and we commit ourselves to the long, hard work of repentance.
Too many individuals have been killed through acts of violence, and they also each died because of participants who helped and bystanders who did nothing, because of people who did not recognize racism along the way, and because of systems that led the perpetrators to believe that what they were doing was okay. The endless number of racially motivated deaths caused by people using power to keep others down must stop. We cannot be silent in the face of such injustice.
Our Christian faith compels us to follow the leading of Jesus. The first words of Jesus’ ministry were that “time has come, the reign of God has come near, so repent and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15). “Repent” – by which Jesus meant change everything about you that resists the way of God – is the hardest part of that charge, but primary and central to the work of the gospel in our lives.
To repent of the sin of racism, we commit to doing the long, hard work required of us to become anti-racist. We commit to being an ally and partner in the work for racial justice and equity. We invite you to join us in that important first step. And we recognize that working against racism in ourselves, our communities, and our systems is a long journey that will require far more of us. We pledge ourselves to that work as well.
The church we lovingly serve has cast a vision, that “boldly following Jesus, we love all people, and work to build a compassionate, just and peaceful world.” We share that vision and the Christian faith that inspires it. We commit to be part of the change that Jesus has long-willed for us all, defined by hearts and a world in which the lives of our marginalized brothers and sisters matter like they do to God.
In Christ’s Peace,
The Saint Luke’s Pastors