Events in the United States and protests across the world following the brutal death of George Floyd have highlighted the need of all of us to respond in learning, prayer and action to the scourge of racial injustice in our societies.
Our commitment to finding justice and enabling reconciliation is embedded in our identity as followers of Jesus Christ in whom we are all one (as St Paul writes, ‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ Galatians 3.28).
Below are a range of resources to help members of the Cathedral community and beyond learn more about racial injustice and a Christian response in prayer and action, even as we continue to pray for justice, peace and reconciliation in the United States here in daily prayer life of the Cathedral. If you know of other good resources that might be added to the list or indeed would be interested in being part of a June Cathedral Zoom discussion on what we can do to work for racial justice at the local level, please email theology@chichestercathedral.org.uk or write to the Chancellor, Canon Dan Inman (chancellor@chichestercathedral.org.uk).
Learn
- We Need To Talk About Race: Black Experience in White Majority Churches: A talk from St Paul’s Cathedral Learning Department in 2019
- A.D.A. France-Williams, author of Ghost Ship: Institutional Racism and the Church of England, reflects on the death of George Floyd, and asks how the church will respond. Click here to view the resource.
- “Becoming Beloved Community…Where You Are” A Resource for Individuals, Congregations & Communities Seeking Racial Healing, Reconciliation and Justice (A Resource from the Episcopal Church in the United States).
- Watch the Rev Gayle Fisher-Stewart, an Episcopal priest who was a police officer in Washington DC, reflect on reconciliation, black lives and the Church’s role in the United States.
- Watch Kimberlé Crenshaw talk about the urgency of intersectionality.
Prayer
Two prayers for personal and Church use: Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate cruelty to these our neighbours. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (American Book of Common Prayer) O God who created all people in your holy image, who loves the stranger, who cares for the downtrodden: walk with those who face discrimination, protect them from harm, help them see Christ in our community. Guide those who fan the fires of discrimination to open their eyes to the beauty of all your creation and respect the human dignity of all people. Open our hearts to those who face hatred and injustice because of their race, their background, their ethnicity, that we might better help them belong; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen |
Prayers from the Social Justice Resource Center in the United States: https://socialjusticeresourcecenter.org/prayers/racism/ Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) produced a range of resources for Racial Justice Sunday this year, including material from the United Reformed Church and the Roman Catholic Churches in England and Wales:https://ctbi.org.uk/racial-justice-sunday-2020/ |
Action
- Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide: A resource from the Southern Poverty Law Center in the United States but with relevant resources for thinking about how to respond as individuals and as a community here.
- Take part in a group reflection and discussion on Race and the Church at Chichester Cathedral (on Zoom): date and speaker tbc. For more info in due course, please send an e-mail to theology@chichestercathedral.org.uk to express your interest.
- Support the work of those fighting against race injustice, such as the Runnymede Trust (https://www.runnymedetrust.org/) or the Institute of Race Relations (http://www.irr.org.uk/), both of which also have extensive educational material.