Black Lives Matter - How we must all be anti-racist

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URC leaders: 'we must all be "anti-racist" after the brutal killing of George Floyd'. BLM stone crop

Church Related Community Worker (CRCW) and the URC's Secretary for Global and Intercultural Ministries; Karen Campbell alongside Moderators of the URC General Assembly, the Revd Nigel Uden and Derek Estill have issued a statement which can be read in full here.

"For too long, black communities have borne the brunt of systemic injustices, impacting their health, their finances, their education, their prospects, their lives.

How long will they be asked – and expected – to turn the other cheek, to keep bearing and forgiving the injustices they suffer, only to find that there is no repentance on the part of those who oppress; no change being offered in the face of their perseverance?"

There will be an online forum discussing, ‘Do Black Lives Matter in the URC’ on July 14th at 2pm; please email veronica.daniel@urc.org.uk for more details.

The URC offer this prayer, written by Karen Campbell, bringing to God the pain and concern of our fractured world, condemning all violence and yearning for change:

Prayer

Eternal God,
deeply troubled by what is happening following George Floyd’s death,
and by too much other inhumanity that doesn’t reach the headlines,
we cry to you as the one
whose love was the victor at Easter and
who pours it into our hearts at Pentecost.

As we observe the pain of a fractured world,
use your love to drive us from sadness to compassion;
as we watch the pain of the bereaved,
use your love to move us from pity to companionship;
as we are faced with the pain of marginalised people,
use your love to point us from complacency to your commonwealth.

In our praying,
let us not just talk to you,
but yield to your love;
in our anger,
let us not just rail against injustice,
but manifest your love;
in our actions,
let us not just flail about aimlessly,
but build the civilisation of love.

Until none of us are disregarded for who we are
nor any diminished by what we fail to be,
we keep on praying in the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen

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