I did not know what to expect at the beginning of 2015. In my congregation we began the year by talking about a journey to wholeness. Somewhere in the middle of the year I began to realize that the pain of the world was so vast it would be complicated to talk about wholeness in the midst of such brokenness. I struggled even as I watched my sisters and brothers struggling around the country both black, brown, white, yellow and red. Our communities were being torn apart by racism and prejudice by xenophobia and by all manner of things that were just absolutely heartbreaking.
As we close out 2015 we are haunted by the decisions to not prosecute police in the case of Tamir Rice, disappointed in the actions of the court in Texas in the case of Sandra Bland, still waiting for justice for Mike Brown, still waiting for justice for Eric Garner, still waiting for justice for Freddie Gray, still waiting for justice for those killed at Mother Emmnauel AME in Charelston, SC, still waiting for justice for so many names that we don't even know and that will never see the light of day.
Yet despite all of this, I still have hope. At the root of my hope is my faith that says it is often darkest before the dawn. It is dark right now but the dawn will break and Joy will come in the morning light. So, I have hope that 2016 will be better than 2015 and that the losses that we took in 2015 for racial and economic justice will be turned into rallying cries that cause us to have great victories in 2016 and beyond.
So,
I'm still fighting for $15 an hour in Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia.
So,
I'm still fighting for full fair funding formula for every school district in the state of Pennsylvania.
So,
I'm still fighting for undocumented immigrants, my siblings in Almighty God, to be welcomed in America.
So,
I'm still fighting to end voter ID laws across this country that discriminate against people of color, young people, immigrants and homeless veterans.
So,
I'm still fighting for racial justice to see that the police no longer have free opportunity to brutalize dark skinned bodies of men and women across this country.
So,
I am still fighting for the end of mass incarceration and the profiteering off of black and brown bodies in privatized prisons.
So,
I'm still fighting to make sure that the LGBTQ community still has every right to live as full citizens in this country and not be discriminated against.
So,
I'm still fighting to make sure that this earth is not exploited to the point of our extinction.
Despite the rhetoric that we have heard from the political right over the last year I am still hopeful that 2016 will show us a country that has progressive ideas. That the voice of the everyday people are just as powerful as the oligarchs with conservative ideas that would drive us back into the Stone Age. I also have hope that the people of God would show up more powerfully so that this year we can do more to "Change the Damn World."
Some days I'm tired. Some days I might even look like I lose hope. As long as the light of God continues to shine within me even in those darkest moments I will continue to believe that our better days are yet in front of us and that the past days are just building blocks towards building the "Beloved Community." I invite you to join me in welcoming 2016 to be the most powerful year of our lives where we see real change, offer real hope, rebuild our communities and our country for the better.
Thank you for staying on the journey with me!
God Bless You All! Amen!
As we close out 2015 we are haunted by the decisions to not prosecute police in the case of Tamir Rice, disappointed in the actions of the court in Texas in the case of Sandra Bland, still waiting for justice for Mike Brown, still waiting for justice for Eric Garner, still waiting for justice for Freddie Gray, still waiting for justice for those killed at Mother Emmnauel AME in Charelston, SC, still waiting for justice for so many names that we don't even know and that will never see the light of day.
Yet despite all of this, I still have hope. At the root of my hope is my faith that says it is often darkest before the dawn. It is dark right now but the dawn will break and Joy will come in the morning light. So, I have hope that 2016 will be better than 2015 and that the losses that we took in 2015 for racial and economic justice will be turned into rallying cries that cause us to have great victories in 2016 and beyond.
So,
I'm still fighting for $15 an hour in Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia.
So,
I'm still fighting for full fair funding formula for every school district in the state of Pennsylvania.
So,
I'm still fighting for undocumented immigrants, my siblings in Almighty God, to be welcomed in America.
So,
I'm still fighting to end voter ID laws across this country that discriminate against people of color, young people, immigrants and homeless veterans.
So,
I'm still fighting for racial justice to see that the police no longer have free opportunity to brutalize dark skinned bodies of men and women across this country.
So,
I am still fighting for the end of mass incarceration and the profiteering off of black and brown bodies in privatized prisons.
So,
I'm still fighting to make sure that the LGBTQ community still has every right to live as full citizens in this country and not be discriminated against.
So,
I'm still fighting to make sure that this earth is not exploited to the point of our extinction.
Despite the rhetoric that we have heard from the political right over the last year I am still hopeful that 2016 will show us a country that has progressive ideas. That the voice of the everyday people are just as powerful as the oligarchs with conservative ideas that would drive us back into the Stone Age. I also have hope that the people of God would show up more powerfully so that this year we can do more to "Change the Damn World."
Some days I'm tired. Some days I might even look like I lose hope. As long as the light of God continues to shine within me even in those darkest moments I will continue to believe that our better days are yet in front of us and that the past days are just building blocks towards building the "Beloved Community." I invite you to join me in welcoming 2016 to be the most powerful year of our lives where we see real change, offer real hope, rebuild our communities and our country for the better.
Thank you for staying on the journey with me!
God Bless You All! Amen!
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