Adequate words to respond to the killing of George Floyd escape me as once again we are stunned by the utter disregard for the human life of a black man. As people of faith, let us stand with our black sisters and brothers in their outrage and calls for justice. Those of us who are white do not experience the harassment and inequities of racism. Therefore, while holding to nonviolence, we cannot harshly judge those whose restraint of rage has finally come to an end. When the repeated cries of oppressed people are ignored, flames and broken glass are ways of claiming attention and expressing urgent demands. Instead of quelling protests against police brutality with violence, these demands and calls for justice need to be heard and adequate responses made. Even as we fear for the lives of those protesting in the streets while the coronavirus continues to spread among us and reject the wanton destruction of communities, we recognize that there comes a time when justice cannot wait. May each one of us stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, and join their calls for justice, recognizing the sacred worth of every black life, each one created and loved by God.
Written by Ruth Rosell, Director of the Buttry Center for Peace and Nonviolence
May 30, 2020
On October 26, 2019, the Buttry Center for Peace and Nonviolence hosted a one day conference entitled “Joining God in Saving the Earth: Mobilizing for Action on the Climate Crisis.” This conference brought people of faith together to talk about the climate crisis and consider how to mobilize for action that makes a difference.
Participants spent the day with other people of faith concerned about the climate crisis. They considered how their faith speaks to this crisis, learned about ways it is being addressed, connected with leaders in the community working on this issue, discovered how to make a difference on an individual, congregational, and societal level, and were inspired to act.
The featured speaker was the Rev. Fletcher Harper, an Episcopal priest and the executive director of GreenFaith, an interfaith environmental coalition providing leadership in the religious environmental movement addressing the climate crisis. Much of the conference was recorded and is available for viewing at the link below.
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