Numerous people I’ve talked to recently share an unsettled-ness that I too am experiencing this 4th of July.   The protests and civil unrest have brought to the fore the realities of what this holiday has long represented for people in our black communities.  The words of scholar Peniel Joseph (see link below) underscore the vibe that many are feeling this weekend.  Additionally, I’m looking forward to our Celebration of Life tomorrow morning, which will further explore these issues.

May we continue to engage in this fight so that in the years to come we, along with our children and their children, can truly celebrate what this holiday was meant to be.   And in the meantime perhaps we can adjust our lens to see the stars as beacons of hope and truth that will light the way to justice, and the stripes as the avenues on which to march toward that justice.

Sending my love to each of you,
Lori

I rejoiced when I heard them announce,
“The time of warfare is past.
No more will brother hate brother
or violence have its way.
No more will they drown out God’s silence
and shut their hearts to his song.”

Pray for peace in the cities
and harmony among the races.
May peace come to live on our streets
and justice within our walls.
With all my heart I will pray
that peace comes to live among us.
For the sake of all earth’s people,
I will do my utmost for peace.

(The Psalms, trans. by Stephen Mitchell)