Cover Photo: Luis Quintero
Usually today I would write a blog post about some topic related to my faith journey or something relating to Catholicism.
That is not why I am writing today.
I am writing to you to express the sadness and heartbreak I feel over the recent events in our country. The senseless murder of George Floyd has sparked protests around the country and rightly so.
For too long, our nation has allowed systemic oppression and racism to permeate our society. Enough is enough. The time to change is now.
As a white man, I am far too uninformed. I am frustrated at how ignorant I have been…to police brutality, to racism, to the sufferings of my brothers and sisters who bear a different skin color.
I must educate myself. I must learn. I must not be ignorant of the injustices in our society. No one in this world should be treated unfairly because of the color of their skin. No one. We must all do our part to ensure that this does not continue. We must root out racism entirely.
As Nelson Mandela once said:
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Now more than ever we must show one another what it means to love. We must teach each other to love.
“Racism is a sin; a sin that divides the human family, blots out the image of God among specific members of that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father. Racism is the sin that says some human beings are inherently superior and others essentially inferior because of races. It is the sin that makes racial characteristics the determining factor for the exercise of human rights. It mocks the words of Jesus: “Treat others the way you would have them treat you.” Indeed, racism is more than a disregard for the words of Jesus; it is a denial of the truth of the dignity of each human being revealed by the mystery of the Incarnation.”
Brothers and Sisters to Us, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1979.
Let us come together as one family in Christ. Let us recognize that we are all brothers and sisters. No race is superior to another. We are all human. We are all children of God. Let us focus on what unites us.
God’s creation is beautifully diverse but ultimately united.
Good and gracious God, you invite us to recognize and reverence your divine image and likeness in our neighbor. Enable us to see the reality of racism and free us to challenge and uproot it from our society, our world and ourselves.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen
Link to prayer source: https://www.sistersofmercy.org/resources/prayer-the-elimination-of-racism/
Catholicism Rekindled 