“Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ~Luke 10:36~
The Good Samaritan story found in Luke 10:25-27 is one of the best-known parables of Jesus. Its message is simple: followers of Jesus love our neighbors with our actions as well as our words.
We do not leave the man beaten by robbers lying in the ditch. We help because we are called to love our neighbors.
Like many of you, I was dismayed and grieved by the horrific video of George Floyd’s death in police custody. This is just one tragic example of the malign persistence of racism in our culture and in our world.
People of faith and people of conscience are called to hear the cries of our black neighbors and respond, not just with our words but our actions.
I am grateful for the work of our recently formed Desert Southwest Conference Race Coalition that is helping us to respond proactively to make sure racism has no future in our world. You can find out more about the DSC Race Coalition on our Desert Southwest Conference website. Today I want to highlight an important resource being offered and invite the people of the South District to participate.
On September 1st, we are invited to engage in a “21 Day Anti-Racism Challenge.” This resource is found at https://dscumc.org/religion-and-race/dsc-race/ and will include links to articles, videos, and readings to help us learn and talk about racism. You are encouraged to participate in this three-week activity, either individually or in small groups.
You can also sign up to join a three-week virtual small group opportunity through https://dscumc.org/religion-and-race/dsc-race/ during the 21-Day Anti-Racism Challenge. The class is free, but space is limited, so sign up soon.
I long for a world in which the image of God in each person is recognized and honored by all. I hope you will join the Desert Southwest Conference in working together to ensure that racism has no future.
Thanks for listening –
Matt
