initially released June 12, 2020
Recently, we heard the story of Pentecost: the day we remember as the birth of the church. Gathered together, unsure of their future, the followers of Jesus experienced a rushing wind among them and tongues of fire upon them, releasing them from fear and anxiety to tell the story of Jesus in the diverse languages of the people of Jerusalem.
In Genesis, ‘wind’ and ‘breath’ are the same Hebrew word.
A wind from God – the breath of God – sweeps over the chaos of creation and brings life, beauty, variety, and a whole humanity made in the image of God. That same breath and wind moves over the fearful disciples at Pentecost. Wind and fire can be destructive; they can also be signs of new life.
In these past days, we have seen both wind and fire in our life as a nation. We have heard the voice of George Floyd crying, “I can’t breathe,” as he died at the hands of police in Minneapolis. We have heard the chants of those crying his name and the names of far too many black men and women, beloved children of God, whose lives have been taken violently. We have seen fire consume streets and businesses, and tear gas bring choking and sobs.
Though we do not condone violence, we must listen to the anger, fear, frustration, and grief which have brought us to this place. The legacy of slavery has never left our common life. White supremacy is not simply the actions of a few malevolent individuals or groups; it infects every part of our society. It is strangling the life from our brown and black siblings, as it has for hundreds of years. It is sin.
The ELCA Is an overwhelmingly white denomination – by recent statistics, the whitest denomination in the United States. This means we have much work to do. With leaders in the ELCA, we mourn the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and far too many others whose names we have learned because of how they died. We remember how Jesus sought out those who were outcast, disenfranchised, and excluded, and how he demanded justice from the religious and political elite. We remember how he turned over the tables in the temple, demanding that an unjust system of sacrifice, which excluded so many, be brought to a swift end.
Jesus’ way of peace did not come from ignoring problems or silencing people by force.
When his followers offered to save his life by drawing their swords, Jesus told them to stop. And so we reject any language by our political leaders which seeks to inflame violence, to threaten the right to protest, or to silence the voices of dissent. We firmly reject the use of the church and the bible as symbols intended to demean and to dominate.
Our mission statement at Holy Spirit reminds us that we are called to “proclaim and embody the compassionate, challenging, inclusive love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.” This mission is never done, never complete. The Holy Spirit is always rushing in, breathing new life, igniting the fires of justice. This means we will be made uncomfortable, because God is always doing something new; it also means we have courage and strength for the work ahead. To be compassionate, we need to truly hear the suffering and pain of our siblings without trying to defend ourselves. To be challenging, we need to engage the real questions and problems of this time without running away. To be inclusive, we need to ask ourselves why we remain such a homogenous community and be willing to change.
This will not be easy.
It is compounded by our inability to gather together: to mourn, to hope, to pray, to act together. But God’s wind and fire will not wait. As our Bishop said in her address a few days ago, “silence is violence.” We commit to the work of anti-racism and we encourage you to do the same. This will mean listening, learning, and action, for us as leaders, and for us as a community. As we gather resources for this work, we welcome your prayers, your feedback, and your action. This will be lifelong work. And we know that a statement by the pastors and staff is not the church; the church is all of us, following God’s call and working for change.
Pentecost is not over. The wind and fire are still bringing new life.
The Spirit is alive among us, and we have work to do.
In Christ,
Pastor Michael Anderson
Pastor Katy McCallum Sachse
Pastor Rita Anderson
Pastor Mary-Alyce Burleigh
Sean Bendickson, Office Administrator
Marjorie Buchanan, Parish Administrator
Becky Cole, Director of Children and Family Ministries
Danielle Dadashi, Director of Youth and Online Ministries
Ruth Hanley, Director of Holy Spirit Lutheran Preschool
John Sparkman, Director of Music Ministries
Tammie Zarfos, Director of Confirmation Ministries