Presbytery of Lake Michigan A Statement on Racism

George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Emmett Till, and the list goes on and on back past the founding of our nation; individuals created in God’s image who were killed because of racism. Add to these the countless names of those deprived of opportunities for education, employment, housing, and community because of racism. We can and must do better in eliminating personal, organizational, and systemic racism. Most especially, the church must end its complicity in supporting and perpetuating racism in all its forms.

It is not enough to:

• Hold our Bibles while standing in front of our churches.
• Tell ourselves that we are not racist.
• Make our private statements expressing sorrow and remorse.

We can and must do better.

It is not enough to:

• Gather in the comfort of our lounges to study recommended resources.
• Affirm that our best friends are not racist.
• Post our public statements expressing sorrow and remorse.

We can and must do better.

We repent of:

• Keeping the Word of God at arm’s length rather than having it permeate our hearts and actions.
• Declining to identify the racist roots and tendencies in our hearts and structures.
• Talking and writing while failing to listen and learn from those we have hurt.
• Failing to act justly.
• Failing to love mercy.
• Failing to walk humbly with our God and with God’s Image-bearers.

We can and must do better.

We ask forgiveness from:

• Those whom we have hurt by our actions.
• Those we have allowed others to hurt and ignore.
• Our God whose desire for diversity and unity we have not honored.

We can and must do better.

We must make recompense to:

• Those whose wealth and lands we have stolen.
• Those we have forced to live with little or no resources.
• God who has provided in abundance for all of creation’s needs.

We can and must do better.

We commit ourselves to:

• A relentless pursuit of truth about ourselves and how we can do better.
• Listening to the voices of all God’s people regarding their needs and desires.
•  Creating the environment where all can breathe in the spirit of love and peace.

We can and will do better.

So help us God!