RRJLT Update
April 2021
Dear LSC community,
As we approach the one-year mark of George Floyd’s murder, our team wanted to share some thoughts on this catalytic event and its aftermath. Like many of you, our Racial Righteousness Journey Leadership Team (RRJLT) closely watched the outcome of the Derek Chauvin trial last week. We were praying especially for the family of George Floyd, and others who have felt the grief and trauma triggers in the time leading up to and following the trial.
Our team’s bi-weekly meeting took place shortly after the verdict was announced, and we spent some time processing what this moment meant, for us as individuals, for our team, and for our congregation. We shared a strong sense of anxiety before the verdict was read, which gave way to relief afterwards that there will finally be some measure of accountability. At the same time, that relief is tempered by the knowledge that a guilty verdict cannot restore the life that was taken from George Floyd or his loved ones, and that this verdict is, sadly, the exception rather than the norm as a result of the systemic racism in our country.
This has been a landmark moment for our country (and our congregation). Accountability is a needed precursor to true and lasting change, but the journey to this point has been long. And the road ahead seems even longer sometimes. Working towards justice and righteousness means changing, repairing, and transforming our systems so that they allow for the flourishing of all people, as God originally intended. It’s our prayer that as a nation, we would continue to work toward true justice and equity, allowing the new or heightened awareness that gripped us in 2020 to bear fruit of true and lasting change in 2021 and beyond.
The same holds true for our LSC community. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil’s framework talks about catalytic events that can shake us up and invite us to recognize a reality beyond what we have previously known. They may be major events or small ones, but they’re the moments where God invites us to change. Whether or not we accept that invitation to grow and stretch into a greater understanding of the world depends on how we respond: Will we resist the change and pull away? Will we embrace our new awareness, and go about the work of learning to identify deeply and fully with, and truly care for, our fellow members of God’s family?
The RRJLT is currently drawing from your input in our conversations and interviews this fall, and our continued prayer/reflection as a group as we consider some big questions:
Whose voices in our community most need to be heard?
Who in our community needs rest or reconciliation? How can we as a church better care for those in our midst who are most affected by the trauma of our systemic racism?
What are the next steps for us in becoming the “Beloved Community”, in modeling and inviting people to join in the kind of community where everyone can flourish together as God intends?
If you are someone for whom this event was felt viscerally in a way that is familiarly painful instead of catalytic, we want our collective response to this moment to support you. One part of that work includes facilitating a cohort of LSC’s senior staff and Board members who are learning more about a common language and framework for reconciliation work through Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil’s book, Roadmap to Reconciliation. We’ll then work collectively to apply that knowledge and take a hard look at LaSalle’s structures, systems, and ways of being. Additionally, we’re beginning to map out the next steps for our church community’s internal work—becoming aware of our implicit biases, the ways we perpetuate white supremacy, and the ways we harm ourselves and each other in the process.
As that internal work continues, we’re also discerning where LSC can best direct its efforts and resources in the communities around us, working to build God’s shalom, “heaven on earth.” We invite you to pray along with us as we prepare for the long road ahead, tuning your hearts to the voice of the Holy Spirit as you consider the questions above. If you have insights or ideas to share, we welcome you to reach out. It’s only through the leading of the Spirit and the power of God that this work is possible!
Thanks for journeying with us.
Jonathan, Julian, Allison, Cliff, & Kaitlin