I had several thoughts to share this week with you, but thought it wiser to let a different choice be heard. Following is a letter from Earl James, Coordinator for African American/Black Council and Advocacy of the RCA. The letter is long and it is worth your reading and carefully reflecting upon it as it comes from a fellow believer, leader in our denomination, and reflects an experience mot which most of us do not regularly have access.
Dear Members of the RCA’s African American/Black Council, the Council’s Constituents, and all our Allies,
This pastoral and advocacy letter differs from other ones that I have written or helped write. The central concerns are not church focused or in condemning racism per se. The central concerns here:
Reflect from my perspectives on how the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery fit into an overall experience of being American
Highlight being an ally in this cause of racial equity and justice in our communities
Highlight being an ally in this cause of racial equity and justice in our communities Promote addressing “use-of-force” policies that govern police actions
Share some ways forward.
The recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, are awful and evil in their own rights. For many of us, they are also part of a soul-damaging heritage of being of this country.
In George Floyd’s murder, former police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee was on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. It remained there for nearly three minutes after George was unresponsive.
Chauvin’s knee on the neck is merely the latest of an American heritage of noose around the neck. Regardless of knee or noose, the result is “I can’t breathe.” Both kill.
Take several moments. Sit or lie silently. Calm your body and mind. Then imagine for as long as you can a knee pressing hard on your throat. Can you imagine the pressure? Can you imagine struggling to breathe?
Keeping ourselves and our children breathing has been a bane of our existence. To stay watchful and prepare our children and grandchildren to be watchful:
- Requires an enormous strength of will and
- Expends a huge amount of physical, mental, emotional energy.
Our and their watchfulness, we fully hope, will help keep us alive. Our watchfulness is exhausting.
“Our” does not only mean “those of us now.” Our parents had to be watchful and taught us of the Boomer generation to be so. For many of our parents, there was a close relationship between fear and respect. And in their parents’ time, fear was a tool they used to keep their children safe. Yes, there was prayer. Yes, there were worship services and vigils. Yes, there were beliefs that Christ is the answer. Yes, there were efforts to promote racial reconciliation and harmony. Despite faith and action and hope and love, from nooses to knees, the anxiety continues.
Like many of us, I have for over 40 years frequently had “the talk” with my children and very young grandchildren. Yet, still, this. A day after Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, two of my grandchildren woke up from frightening dreams. One dreamt that she and her friends were carted off into slavery. She and her closest friend were forced by White women to scrub floors. Another dreamt that his close buddy who is White warned him repeatedly to watch out for White police. We listened quietly to both of them tell about their dreams and how they felt about the murder. Afterward, we shook with rage and hurt that this evil even entered the lives of our little ones. This was not a history lesson. This wasn’t read from a book. This was real-time, in-the-moment, and life shaping for them.
What is the teachable moment here for them? I was so grateful their parents took them to our local protest rally. Yes, a small number of people ended up defacing and destroying property. Yes, the police dealt with them. But, a massive number of protesters were peaceful, active, and united. When faced with evil, my grandchildren took steps to confront it. They are sifting themselves and taking stands. Taking stands for themselves, for those they know and love, and for this community they are part of.
I must add, in my time, I have learned about and been part of events and movements led by people of the Builder and Boomer generations. This one in my community was led by people from Generations Y and Z (my grandchildren’s generation). It warms my soul to see them owning this challenge. It warms my head and heart to follow their leadership.
I want to share on economics. In the Civil Rights movement, pastor- and church-led groups conducted economic boycotts to overturn Jim Crow. What started with lunch counter sit-ins at businesses that refused to serve Blacks helped create much wider opportunities in American life for Blacks and other oppressed people. The Blackout Coalition, a national racial justice effort launched in response to George Floyd’s murder, has joined that economic strategy. On July 7, 2020, Black people and all other allies are asked, for that day, to not buy anything. As was the case historically, the Coalition hopes to raise awareness and promote justice through this economic protest. For more information and to join the Coalition, see its Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/blackoutdaymovement/.
To close this section, a couple of beautiful references.
A few days ago, I read a powerful piece by a Black person, Stratton C. Lee III. He sifted through his sense of self and place. His words are elegant and eloquent. I wholeheartedly recommend you read it, reflect on it, and take his lead and sift yourself: www.facebook.com/2326842/posts/10117315456787614/. May your heart race like mine as you read Stratton’s post.
I recently read this elegant and eloquent testimony on being an ally: www.facebook.com/10010659/posts/10112579068233321/. Its author is a young White police officer, Justin Pletcher. In his post, he sifted his own heart and mind. He wrote about what he does with other White people. He shared about some things he did with people of color. Justin described how he measures the usefulness of him being an ally—he listens to those he serves. I wholeheartedly encourage you to read Justin’s post.
Use of Force Law Enforcement Policies
Police departments must hire, promote, and champion people of good will. But in this matter of killing, whether an officer is loving or racially reconciled is secondary. The primary issue is the murders, such as in George Floyd’s case, must stop. In their time, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others spoke like that about lynching. Regardless of hearts and racial reconciliation, lynching had to stop.
We need to understand far better what “use-of-force” policies are and why police murders of unarmed people normally do not appear to violate established use-of-force police policies.
Typically, use-of-force is a law or policy that guides when police can use different amounts
of force to control situations. Use-of-force goals typically surround matters of arrest and protection of officers or others. In many jurisdictions, use-of-force is supposed to be a last resort tactic. Examples of elements of use-of-force policies can be found here: www.joincampaignzero.org/force.
We have a federal government and not a national one. Therefore, use-of-force laws and policies are determined at every governmental jurisdiction. A single or uniform law or policy is not possible. I strongly recommend that existing use-of-force policies in your area:
- Be examined
- Be measured against biblical and theological principles of love and justice
- Be challenged against actual incidents of police killings of unarmed people and Be changed in ways that radically reduce deaths by police of unarmed people.
Some Ways Forward and Some Next Steps
- Continue embracing peaceful public demonstrations for racial equity and justice, and for elimination of police brutality. (I reached out to an organizer of the protest I was part of to learn more and serve.)
- Work to re-craft use-of-force policies in your location to ensure that deaths of unarmed persons by police are eliminated or carry swift and substantial penalties. (I am talking with some people where I live who might want to conduct this work.)
- Find and continually express great care to those among your families and friends, of any generation. In frequent and diverse ways, tell them they matter and are of great value. Tell them specific things about their character and actions that impress you and that you hold dear. Always let them know in various and diverse ways they are gifts from God to you and to life itself.
- Review, talk about, and incorporate into conversations, education, sermons, advocacy, and so on the two postings mentioned previously from Stratton C. Lee III and Justin Pletcher. Explore how they practically live out the Belhar Confession’s principles of justice, reconciliation, and unity: www.rca.org/belhar.
- Have inter-generational conversations and activities that can nurture inter- generational racial equity and justice understanding
- Host one or more virtual or in-person congregational, family, or town hall meetings on any part of this matter. (Others and I are planning two or three virtual engagements to occur in June and/or July.)
- Learn about and participate in The Blackout Coalition’s July 7, 2020, day of not spending money.
- Watch the movie “Just Mercy” and discuss it. It is an exceptional telling of a true story about the dangers of systemic racism in American life. During June 2020, it may be streamed at no cost. Here is how: www.businessinsider.com/how-to-watch- just-mercy-free-streaming-rental.
Yours in Christ, Earl James
Coordinator for African American/Black Council and Advocacy
Connect to God
This Sunday we will once again gather for worship online. You can join the service at:
zionreformed.online.church
Zion’s Facebook Page
WCET (at noon on Friday and 4pm on Sunday)
Physical Copy of the Sermon mailed to you (please request from Connie Stegeman at cstegeman@zionreforned.org)
We were going to start a new series on Philippians this week, but it has been postponed by one week. Instead, this Sunday we will be looking at Romans 14 to see how the counsel of scripture might help us to be a people of unity and reconciliation in a time of tribalism and division.
You are invited to join us for a coffee hour after church via a zoom call. The link will be shared during the service in the chat box. Last week, we had about 8 families join us for a brief talk in response to the sermon and just to catch up. You can learn more about how to use Zoom at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9isp3qPeQ0E
Grow in Community
Join us at 9 am for Zion Kids Worship/Sunday School. We will be live streaming directly from the same website where you already watch our worship service. You can find the Kids Worship time at https://zionreformed.online.church.
Join us June 24 for a short time of worship (think hymn sing) and a short devotional from Pastor Greg. We will be meeting on the lawn near the play ground at church at 7 pm. Bring your own chair and beverage for a chance to safely visit in a physically distant way with friends from church and enjoy a time of worship together, If it is raining on the 24th, we will meet on the 25th at 7 pm. In an effort to follow the governor’s guidelines, this event is limited to 100 people, so if you are planning to attend, please contact Connie Stegeman (cstegeman@zionreformed.org or 616-534-7533) so we can plan appropriately.
While we have not been able to meet together face-to-face, our Elders, Deacons and Pastor Rick have been doing a great job touching base with members over the age of 60 every couple of weeks. As our time apart has grown, our Consistory has recognized the need to expand our care to those under 60 as well. To that end, we are forming Covid-19 Connect Groups until we are able to meet together regularly as a congregation Each person under 60 who is not already in a small group or discipleship triad is being randomly assigned to one of these groups. The leaders will be calling to check-in on members every couple of weeks and, now that they are allowed, planning an opportunity each month to meet physically together. If you would like more information, pleas contact me at gbrowerzionreformed.org.
We also still have numerous Discipleship Triads meeting. If you would like to learn more about how you can connect with other people at Zion to encourage one another to follow Jesus well, send me an e-mail and I can help get you connected.
Serve the World
We continue accepting donations of personal care items and food on Wednesdays from 1-3 pm at church. We are partnering with Sunrise Ministries in Jenison for a weekly distribution. We also continue our monthly partnership with UCOM through our Personal Care Pantry. For the next few weeks, all Personal Care Items will be shared with Lifeline Community Church for their next distribution in Wyoming. Thank you for your support of these important ministries at this time.
If you and others that you know would be willing to serve, Sunrise Ministries (in coordination with Love Inc and local churches) is in need of volunteers this Wednesday and for the next couple of weeks! They are also in need of people to go shop for food. They have gift cards and a list that they would give you before you go out. If you are interested please contact Penny at penny@sunrisemin.org
Administration
We continue to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and for the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and treasures. We are especially grateful this week for all those who have adjusted their means of giving to give online, through the mail, and via text. Zion’s members continue to strongly support the ministries of Zion during this time of uncertainty.
Year to Date Budget: $587,866.46
Year to Date Contribution: $554,994.82
Giving Last Week: $5,983.00
Cash on Hand: $147,008.82
