Dear friends,
On Sunday at 10 am, as we are gathering at Plymouth Church for our combined Epiphany service, a large group will be gathering in New York City to honor the life of police officer Wenjian Liu. He was shot while sitting in his patrol car. Last Saturday, another large group gathered to celebrate the life of his partner, Rafael Ramos, who was shot at the same time.
Two people who devoted their lives to public service. Two fathers who loved their families. Two more beloved, gifted children of God lost to senseless, horrifying violence.
Why did this happen? What does it mean? How can we respond to their deaths in a way that honors the sacredness of their lives? What can we learn that can help us make our society safer, more just, and more peaceful?
These are some of the same questions we have been asking in relation to the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. They are questions that stir anger and fear. They are questions that push us deeper than our anger and fear, acknowledging the legacy of painful histories, naming deep wounds of distrust, and seeking a better way to live together. These questions challenge us to move beyond our instinct to point fingers or to demonize entire groups of people. These questions push us beyond the temptation to smooth over the problems and pretend everything is fine.
The murder of these two police officers is a sobering reminder of how much work we need to do as a nation, and how hard that work will be. Fortunately, there are also reminders of our capacity to do that work, signs that there is hope for change:
- Police officers, community activists, clergy and the mayor of Boston gathered earlier this week at 12 Baptist Church in Roxbury for a prayer service. They blessed the police officers for their dedication to public safety; they blessed the community activists for their dedication to creating a more just society.
- The Framingham Interfaith Clergy Association is sponsoring a gathering at Nevins Hall, called “Framingham Comes Together,” on Wednesday, January 28 at 7 pm. At this open forum, we will talk about how to build trust and strengthen community in our own town.
- The people of Edwards, Plymouth and Grace Churches will gather this Sunday for our Epiphany service and a soup lunch. We will recommit ourselves to the lifelong journey of creating a society where every person is treasured as a gifted, beloved child of God.
Let us honor the lives of Wenjian Liu, Rafael Ramos, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and countless others by living in a way that brings hope and healing to our world.
Peace, Debbie