Bishop Duncan-Probe: “Each of us has a part to play in the healing” of our world.

Racist, homophobic, and antisemitic acts are on the rise in many parts of Central New York. Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe urges the Diocese of Central New York to be part of a healing response, applying our draft vision, mission, and rule of life. Learn more about the draft here> 

Transcript:

Greetings friends. I hope that you’re well this chilly day in November. Today’s message is a bit serious in nature, but it’s focused on our vision, mission, and rule of life. Our draft vision: “A world healed by love,” is that at the end of whatever it is we do in our shared ministry, the world will be made better by love.

But today as we look around at our world, we see ever more clearly the reality of racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, hatred for others different from ourselves, the suffering of the LBGTQ community, and and of all those who are marginalized because of who God’s created them to be. We can ask ourselves what’s wrong with “that institution” or “those people?” But this sin of dehumanization is ours.

Each of us has part to play in the healing of institutional white supremacy and racial reconciliation, and in the inclusion and empowerment of those who differ most from us.

Our draft rule of life says that we will pray. And so as people in the Diocese of Central New York, I ask you to pray, together, and with those different from you.

I ask you to collaborate with others, especially others different from yourself. To learn and to see with clearer eyes, how these views and understandings can take root and continue to grow in our society.

I ask you to share and speak the truth. Thanksgiving’s right around the corner. The memes are already out about how to seek people who have different political views! But I wonder what it would be like to speak the truth of what it feels like to see beloved members of our community ostracized for being created by God as they are, as the blessing that they are.

And I wonder what it would be like if at our Thanksgiving dinner we listened truly and deeply to people whose views are very different from our own. To listen for where the fear is, where the love is, and where the still small voice of God may be calling us to offer compassion, mercy, and grace.

Each of us has an opportunity in this time of brokenness in our world to act in ways that will make a difference in our world: to pray, collaborate, listen, share, and speak. So on this day when racism, white supremacy, and all the dehumanizing forces in the world are pushing us apart, I urge you to live in accordance with our draft rule of life, to seek to serve Christ and other people. Do this knowing that it is the God who has created us and empowered us that gives us not only the will to do these things, but the power. May we have the foolishness to think that the one thing we’ll do today with mercy and love and grace will offer a light to the world, that all may know the love of Jesus in their own lives.
Know that you are a beloved child of God, as you’ve been created to be, and that together we’re made whole as the kingdom of God.

Blessings to you this day.

Comments
  • Virginia Nagel

    Amen! Amen! And don’t forget handicap discrimation too.

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