The Church Lab is grieved and deeply angered by the long line of wrongful deaths in our country which result from racism. We unequivocally condemn racist behaviors, mindsets and conditioning. We repent of the ways in which we are complicit, committed to what we must do to improve when we fall short, such that we can contribute in every way possible to the cause of equity and opportunity for every human being.
We stand with the seas of peaceful protesters across this country who are exercising all of our rights to be substantively heard and seen. They are engaging in efforts which have historically ushered in better chapters in our country’s history, and not without great sacrifice.
We do not support acts which would harm the livelihoods of already-hurting business owners. That said, we recognize that acts of outrage represent deep wounds, about which we have the opportunity to listen deeply, and which offers the possibility of healing over time.
In fact, we recognize that many layers of our societal structure contribute to many of the tragic inequities we have witnessed and encountered in 2020 around race, healthcare, the economy and the list goes on. TCL is committed to exploring these various threads, how they contribute to inequities, and the parts we can play as people of faith to make a difference in these arenas. This also includes lifting up and supporting servants of our communities, including but not limited to police officers. For instance, how can civil servants be enveloped with the care and support they need as they protect and serve, as they chronically encounter trauma and risk each day, such that a well-intended officer does not find themselves on a devolving journey into reprehensible harm or outright hatred?
Turning to the application of religion in this cultural moment, TCL unequivocally condemns the cheap use of sacred religious symbols, sites and spaces for the purposes of harnessing political power to “dominate” citizens. The faith traditions across our community are diverse and all precious to our understanding of purpose. It is paramount that faith not be used, as it has been in destructive periods in global history, to prop up bids for power which are unrelated, if not flat out antithetical, to the purposes of faith and religious pursuits.
TCL is grateful and humbled to offer our dialogical and workshop spaces to be very welcome environments for people compelled by the cause of anti-racism, who are wishing to gain tools toward bridge-building and peacemaking.
We offer ourselves to the cause of healing and unity, that every soul may be given dignity, a voice and the willing ears of neighbors to hear, that we may fully embrace one another.
We cannot offer a perfect path, but we certainly offer a space and community of perseverance.
We are holding the door open for you, the torch of hope for each other.